We have been experiencing some pretty cold temperatures here lately. With cold temps comes many different ideas on how to efficiently heat our homes.
MYTHS,
IT’S COLD IN HERE, CRANK THE HEAT!
Have you ever arrived home and found the heater was off or set too low and because it’s freezing inside, CRANK the heat to 85 thinking our house will warm up faster? Don’t do it! It doesn’t work that way. Think of your furnace like a light switch and not a dimmer. What happens when we crank up the heat is that we end up heating our home to an undesirable temperature and wasting energy and money! When our thermostat is turned up, it does not cause the furnace to blow hotter air, it just requires it to run much longer which in turn costs more.
IT’S CHEAPER TO JUST LEAVE THE HEAT TURNED UP
Some believe that it is cheaper if they just maintain a constant temperature in their home rather than changing the thermostat at different times of the day. This is simply not true. If a system is running less, it costs less. If a system is running more to maintain a higher temperature, it costs more. The best way to save money is to set your thermostat lower at night while you are sleeping and only increasing the thermostat during times when you are home. Better yet, install a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust the temperature.
USE SPACE HEATERS IN A FEW ROOMS AND TURN OFF THE HEATER TO SAVE MONEY
FALSE! Many people will turn off their furnace and use space heaters in just a few rooms, the rooms they use most, and expect to see lower heating utilities. The thought is that with less square footage to heat, the furnace will use less energy producing a smaller bill at the end of the month. This thought would work if electricity was cheaper than natural gas, but it’s not. Choosing to use electricity to heat your home rather than using natural gas can end up costing you three to five times more. Ouch! So, heating just a few rooms with electricity could end up costing the same or even more than heating your entire home with your furnace.
CEILING FANS ARE ONLY FOR SUMMERTIME AND COOLING ROOMS
Ceiling fans are great to use during the summer but did you know that they can make your home more energy efficient in the winter? Make sure that your fan rotates clockwise and this will force down the warm air that has collected at the ceiling, causing your home to feel warmer without turning up your furnace.
Use these tips to keep your home comfortable this winter while keeping your home efficient.
To schedule maintenance on your heating system or to speak to our team at 72 Degrees Comfort Company, call 515-965-7272