Our house is a little over 2600 square feet, single level, with a kid in each bedroom that needs heat. I have discovered some frugal ways to keep our home warm all winter long. Took me about 5 years to figure out some of these tips, what can I say, I am a slow learner, but they have all combined to lower my heating bill by close to 50%. Our furnace uses propane gas which costs us $2.55 per gallon. It typically costs close to $300 to fill up our tank, so it is nice to only see the propane truck once all winter long! Hope these tips can help you as well.
- Alternative sources of heat. If your home has a wood burning stove, use it! When our home was being built we upgraded the decorative fireplace into one that actually served a purpose. Also, keep your eye out for good deals on firewood in your local newspaper or at the bulletin board at the grocery store. The best deals are obviously going to be found in summer, so be sure to stock up next year. If you have a chain saw you can often find free wood if you are willing to cut and haul it yourself. I do this quite a bit. This will not only lower your heating bill but it is great exercise. I start a fire almost every morning all winter long, then I start it up again in the evenings. By doing this, we typically only have to turn the furnace on during the coldest nights.
- Use the sun to warm your home. Every morning during the winter, I go around the house and open all the blinds and curtains that get morning sun. It is amazing how much warmer those rooms get than the rest of the house.
- Check for leaks and cracks. I was in my home for 1 year before I noticed that I had big gaps under all my exterior doors that was allowing cold air in all winter. I bought some inexpensive weather stripping and was able to seal off the leaks. Made a BIG difference, no longer felt a cold air draft in the kitchen area. If you have a fireplace and don’t use it, make sure to keep the damper closed so warm air does not escape through your chimney.
- Use a programmable thermostat. I have seen this tip on TV commercials recently. By using a programmable thermostat you can set the furnace at a lower temperature during the day while you are at work. You can also set the thermostat lower when you are sleeping. No sense heating the home when you are cozy under your blankets. We usually keep the thermostat at around 63 degrees at night.
- Maintain your furnace. This includes not only changing your air filters often, but also having your furnace maintained by a professional to make sure it is operating at peak performance. This falls into the category of things that will cost you more in the long run if you don’t maintain it properly.
- Change your mindset this winter. If you typically keep your thermostat at 73 during the day and 66 at night try an experiment and lower it by 1 degree each week for a month. Slowly try changing the temperature you are use to and let your body adjust. Wear a sweatshirt if this is a difficult adjustment. This tip has the potential to save you quite a bit of money this winter.
What tips do you have that can help lower the heating bill this winter?
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Tags: Frugal Living2 Comments
2 responses so far ↓
Another tip, leave your oven door open after you cook and let the heat warm your kitchen area.
Thanks for the tips. We’re doing some of these this year and you’ve given me some additional ideas to try as well.
Kyle, my wife does that as well. Our problem is the kitchen has such a high ceiling that the heat just goes up there. I’ve been thinking lately about buying a fan to help circulate that air.