How to Lower Your Winter Heating Bill

The most reliable way to lower a winter heating bill is to make the furnace run less, by using the thermostat wisely, keeping heat where you live, and keeping the equipment clean and tuned. None of it needs a big project. Tri-Cities winters are cold enough that these habits add up over a season.

Use the thermostat as a tool

Turning the temperature down while you sleep or when no one is home means the house loses heat more slowly, and the furnace works less. A programmable or smart thermostat handles that schedule for you, so you are not relying on memory. Avoid big swings, though. Cranking the setting way up to warm the house faster does not speed anything up, it only makes the system run longer.

If you have a heat pump, check how your thermostat handles setbacks before changing the schedule, since some systems switch to backup heat when asked to recover quickly.

Close off rooms, not the vents

Shutting the doors of rooms you rarely use keeps heat in the spaces you do. Leave the supply vents open unless a technician tells you otherwise, because closing many of them raises pressure in the ducts and can strain the blower. Draperies opened on sunny south-facing windows during the day and closed at night help too, and so does a rug over a cold floor.

A sweater and warm socks let you accept a slightly lower setting without feeling it, and every bit of setback is heat the furnace does not have to produce. It is the cheapest change on this list.

Keep the filter and the furnace in good shape

A clogged filter restricts airflow and makes the furnace work harder for less heat. Check it monthly during heating season and change it as needed, and for a standard 1 inch filter that usually means every one to three months. Beyond that, a furnace that gets a yearly tune-up runs more steadily, and a technician can catch worn parts before they fail on a cold night.

Stop the heat from leaking out

Insulation slows heat loss through the attic and walls, and thin attic insulation is one of the most common weak points in older houses. Air sealing matters as much: gaps around windows, doors, outlets, attic hatches and where pipes enter the house let warm air escape and cold air in. Weatherstripping and caulk are inexpensive fixes. Ducts that run through unheated spaces should be sealed and insulated, since leaks there send heat straight outside.

For new construction, Air-Tech installs AeroBarrier air sealing, which seals a home's envelope from the inside during the build.

Use the sun and mind the fireplace

On clear winter days, the sun through south- and west-facing windows is free heat, so open the curtains and let it in, then close them at dusk to hold it. If you have a wood fireplace, close the damper when it is not in use, since an open chimney pulls warm air out of the house all night.

Small fixes that pay off

Walk through the house on a windy day and feel for drafts around doors and windows. Replace worn weatherstripping, add a door sweep where daylight shows under a door, and cover unused vents and bath fans with proper dampers if they let air in. These are afternoon jobs with real effect.

Check the condition of the furnace itself, too. If it short-cycles, blows only lukewarm air or makes noises it did not make last year, get it looked at before the cold arrives, because equipment that struggles uses more energy while it does.

Regular upkeep is easier when it is scheduled, which is the idea behind Air-Tech's AT Advantage Program, where every plan includes two visits a year. Call (509) 392-2021 to ask how it works.