Winter Heating Tips: Part I

Many of the tips below for saving energy at home are adapted from the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Savers Consumer Tips website and their Energy Savers booklet . (For a Spanish language version of the Energy Savers page and booklet, visit Ahorro de Energia: Energy Savers in Espanol.)

Use Furnaces and Heaters Wisely

          Set your thermostat as low as it is comfortable. Each degree you lower your thermostat can cut your heating costs between one and three percent. A common strategy is to lower thermostat settings to 68 degrees. The lower you set it, the more you'll save.

     Turn your thermostat down 10 to 15 degrees during your sleeping hours or while you’re away, to save even more on your heating bill.

        Use a programmable thermostat with your furnace to adjust the setting while you sleep or no one is home.

        Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month, or as needed.

     Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed; make sure they’re not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.

               Place heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators.

         Bleed trapped air from hot-water radiators once or twice a season. If in doubt about how to perform this task, call a professional.