How to Keep Your Home Warm Without Breaking the Bank

As the temperature outside starts to drop, many Canadians are starting to turn on their furnace and heating systems. If you are like most homeowners, your main goal is to keep your home warm without spending a ton of money. But inefficient heating units and drafty doors or windows can thwart your attempts at keeping your home warm and comfortable this winter.

To prevent spending an excess amount of money on heating costs, take some time to find out if there are any problems that need to be fixed – ideally, before the cold weather hits. Below are some things you can focus on when trying to keep your heating costs down in the winter.

Invest in Professional Furnace Maintenance

Before the temperatures start to fall in your area, you have to make sure your heating unit is ready for the demands it will face over the winter. Some homeowners fail to realize that their furnaces need to be serviced routinely to stay functional and reliable. If you fail to maintain your system properly, you could be literally left in the cold during the coldest part of the year. Unless you have a background in HVAC repair and maintenance, you will need to hire professionals to help you out.

Before hiring a furnace repair service, you need to find out more about the experience and reputation they have. Ideally, you want to hire a company that has a proven track record and affordable prices. Consider getting an on-site estimate, so you have no problem finding the right furnace repair technicians to help you with your heating unit maintenance needs.

Having expert surveillance of your units will ensure it is running at their best and flag any potential problems. Lots of homeowners like to hire a Generac generator installation service to be sure they are covered if there is a power outage or their heating system fails. With the proper maintenance, your furnace will run more efficiently and save you money on your electricity bill. Remember, regular maintenance reduces the likelihood of your furnace failing during the cold winter months.

Consider New Insulation

More than eight million Canadian citizens own the home they live in, and most homeowners make a habit of inspecting the various parts of their residence on a regular basis. These inspections are a great way for you to find problems and address them before extensive damage occurs. If you are in the process of inspecting your home, be sure to take a look in your attic. As time goes by, the insulation in your attic can deteriorate and wear down.

If your attic does not have adequate insulation, your home will lose a lot of warm air over the winter. When the warm air produced by your furnace escapes through the attic, you will start to see your energy bills increase substantially. Instead of throwing money away on exorbitant energy bills, it may be time to invest in new insulation.

By increasing the amount of insulation in your attic, you can reduce the strain on your heating unit this winter. Allowing professionals to come and inspect your attic to help you choose and install new insulation, and ensure proper venting is in place as well.

Put Your Ceiling Fans to Use

Many homes in Canada have ceiling fans. But not everyone realizes fans do not need to be turned completely off during the winter months. Instead of turning your ceiling fans off, try setting them to winter mode, or in a clockwise rotation.

A lot of the warm air your furnace produces will get trapped near the ceiling of your home. If you want to pull this air back down into the room and heat up the space, then using your ceiling fans is a must. Use the lowest speed setting on your ceiling fan to warm air from the ceiling without creating cool air below.

Open Your Curtains in the Daytime

The power of natural light and heat can go a long way in the winter months. During the daytime, open up your curtains and let the sunshine in. Allowing this direct sunlight into your home can increase the heat in the room.

However, you need to close the curtains again at night because cold air can creep in through cracks around your window. Leaving your curtains closed during the evening and nighttime hours will allow you to retain the heat in your home.

Clean and Open Your Air Intake Vents

Taking the time to inspect your air intake vents is also important when trying to keep your home warm without running the furnace more than you need to. If these vents are blocked by furniture or dust, it will be difficult to keep the warm air flowing into the various rooms of your home. Hire a professional to clean your vents to help improve indoor air quality and your furnace’s efficiency.

Put These Tips to Use

By using the tips in this article, you should have no problem keeping your energy bills low this winter and stay toasty warm.