17 Ways to Save Money on Your Heating and AC Bill | Fort Worth, TX

17 Ways to Save Money on Your Heating and AC Bill | Fort Worth, TX

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According to HomeAdvisor, the average heating bill in America is about $1,500 during the winter. This is challenging especially when you live paycheck by paycheck — and it’s expected to still rise! As a homeowner, it’s your responsibility to find ways on how to save on your heating and AC especially during the winter. Don’t worry – we have gathered tips on how to effectively reduce your heating bills so you can save money in the long run.

1. Seal the Doors and Keep Them Closed

When the doors are closed, do ensure that air can’t get into your homes. So carefully inspect your doors for any just minor leaks as this is a source of heat loss. What you can do is fill the space between the bottom of your door and the floor with a draft seal. Block the air as much as possible. Also, always lock the doors as it actually seals it completely and avoids heat loss.

2. Keep Hot Air Flowing in All Rooms

If you have central heating in your homes, you should have a free flow of heat going into different rooms. Do not close the doors so the unit can warm up the entire home. For rooms that may be a little cooler than the others, redirect more heat by adjusting the vents.

3. Fix Your Windows

Like doors, windows are a big source of heat loss. Check them for drafts and leaks. Fix them as soon as possible. If you have drapes or window blinds, open them during the day and let the sun to naturally warm up your home. For unused windows during the winter, you may consider buying plastic window coverings to really eliminate the drafts and to also keep the heat inside the house.

4. Learn to Wear a Sweater and Socks

Lowering the thermostat by just a single degree can have a significant impact on your bill – that’s about a 5 percent difference. So simply turn down the heat a little more and start wearing thick sweaters to keep yourself warm. Also, make sure that you wear thick socks. Prioritize your feet — when your feet are cold, your body will most likely feel cold too. When you’re in the living room and you don’t want to wear a sweater, you can always use a blanket to keep yourself warm during winter. Always bundle up as that doesn’t cost anything. Make sure that you have rugs on your floors as that can also provide more insulation.

5. Use Curtains

At nights, use those floor-to-ceiling curtains to avoid heat loss. You will be able to save 10 percent of your bill if you keep those curtains down in the evening and open at daytime to let the sunlight in.

6. Get a Heating and AC Checkup

If you live in Fort Worth, TX, contact an HVAC company and set up a check-up at least once a year. The technician would be inspecting the entire unit including all moving parts to make sure they are not defective and not causing you any problems.

7. Change the Filters Every 2 or 3 Months

You may also hire a heating and AC technician in the Fort Worth, TX area or do it yourself. Cleaning and changing the air filters will help you get better airflow through your heating system. Also, it may extend the life of your furnace.

8. Turn Down the Thermostat

One of the best ways to save on your energy bill is to actually try to live in a little colder space. The recommended setting would be about 68 degrees so you can get maximum savings on your heating bills. You can save 10 percent more if you can turn it down to about 10 degrees when you are sleeping or when you are at work. The threshold though is not to turn it down more than 10 degrees more. The reason being is that it will take too much energy to heat your space back up again.

9. Rearrange Furniture

Some people do not know this but with the heating systems, make sure that you actually do not block the heat from flowing into the rooms. A piece of furniture physically blocking the heat will make a lot of difference. You may think that it’s the heating system that’s not working when it’s just the furniture problem. As much as possible, move all of them away from the radiators and the air vents to keep the air flowing. During the winter, try to arrange the furniture at the center of the space. This will help a lot.

10. Keep the Oven Door Open After Baking

After using the oven, consider leaving them open so you can also put those heat into good use. There’s a lot of heat in them especially after baking or making your dinner. So why not open them up so you can at least warm up your kitchen.

11. Just Close Vents Partially

To save on heating and AC bills, some people would want to completely seal the vents in the rooms or space that they aren’t using. Although this might be a good idea, there is a downside to it. It might damage your heating system in the long run. Your HVAC system is designed to keep the circulation of air in and out of your system constantly. When it doesn’t do this – it may cause pressure leaks in the ducts when air is restricted. That means your system will work harder and eventually damage some parts of it. You may save a little on your energy bill when it’s completely sealed but you may pay more for your heating and AC.

12. Get an Energy Audit for your Home

For your heating and AC at Fort Worth, TX, try to schedule an energy audit. A professional energy audit will give you a complete and detailed picture of how you are using the energy in your homes. The inventory will help you pinpoint problem areas and help you become more efficient in using the energy in your home. Although this might cost a little, this sure can help you with your heating and AC bills.

13. Turn the Water Heater Down

Do you know that the water heater contributes to about 17 percent of your energy use? That’s right, it’s not only heating and AC, the water heater when used excessively can also hurt your bills. As much as possible, turn it down to about 120-degree Fahrenheit. This will let you save about 3 percent of your heating and AC bill. Better yet, learn how to put insulation to the water heater. There may be insulation guides provided by your manufacturer. Either follow this guide or contact them directly and seek help on how to insulate your water heater.

14. Consider Using a Space Heater

Space Heaters are especially helpful when you work from home and when you have a smaller room. You can save a lot when you isolate the room by closing all the doors. These days, there are space heaters that don’t cost as much and are very efficient. When you have the right brand, you would be able to save on your heating and AC bills. For the rest of the house, try to turn down the thermostat to a reasonable temperature.

15. Raise the Humidity

During winter, you may notice that you start getting dry skin or chapped lips especially when you don’t moisturize. This is also because your heating system is getting the moisture off your bodies. When it’s dry, you also feel a little colder. What you can do to resolve this is to add some moisture into the indoor air so you can retain the heat a little longer. Another benefit to increasing humidity is — you can definitely decrease your chances of getting sick such as sinus infections or the common winter flu. As much as possible, use bath fans and kitchen sparingly or when needed to avoid condensation in the windows. If you have glass surfaces, check whether there is no moisture on it. That means it’s absorbed into the air to improve the humidity in your homes. The recommended is 30-50 percent humidity. You should be fine with this.

16. Do a Thorough Inspection

Come winter, it’s your responsibility to do a thorough inspection of your home. This means you will have to carefully inspect doors, windows, cracks and heat leaks. Doing this can immensely save you a lot of money on your heating bills. If there are cracks, do make sure that they are fixed and taken care of. Here are a few places to inspect in your homes:

Electrical outlets – On a cold day, put your hand and feel whether there is coolness coming from the holes? If the plastic feels cold, carefully remove the cover and insulate the outlets. To fill the gaps, use caulking and a foam gasket for insulation. These are available in your local stores.

Attic door – Insulate the doors of your attics as much as possible to avoid heat loss. Carefully fill any gaps in the doors – try to also use foam board for insulation. Weatherstripping may also help.

Pipes – Try to seal them with either caulk or foam. Make sure to also check the ceilings, other cabinets and the exterior walls for cracks.

Chimney – A snug-fitting damper will significantly lower your energy bill. Make sure it fits really well to avoid heat going up your chimneys.

17. Do Furnace Maintenance

The sign that your furnace is clean is when you can clearly see light through the filter. Every month, make sure you clean them. A clogged furnace will definitely reduce its efficiency. Furnaces also need annual cleaning and tune-up. Your local heating and AC repair technicians can help you with this. Try to also insulate and seal the air ducts. And of course, check for your Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency which will tell you exactly the amount of fuel that is distributed to your homes. Make sure you have a higher percentage used. It should be over 78 or 80 percent higher. If you can afford it, replace the old furnace with efficient ones as you can save more especially with the repairs. If you have an oil furnace, consider getting a flame retention burner. It will improve its efficiency to up to 15 percent.

When it’s extremely cold, it is sometimes very tempting to just turn up the thermostat so you can feel warm. You can do this from time to time but as much as possible, we would encourage you to be more resourceful. Wear only clothes that will keep you especially warm during the winter. Try to avoid wearing shorts or shirts during the winter as you will feel extremely cold. Also, how about getting hot drinks — hot tea or coffee perhaps – to warm you up? This will help a lot. If you want to save money in the long run, try to also follow the tips we have provided above. The above tips are tried and tested formulas that actually work.

Contact One Hour Air Conditioning and Heating in Fort Worth, TX

In the event where you will need additional service, repair, installation, or other emergency problems, please do not hesitate to contact One Hour Air Conditioning and Heating in the Fort Worth, TX area. We are available 24/7!

We have been in business for several years and are an expert in the field. Our services also include preventative maintenance for all your HVAC systems and units; Home Performance Evaluations and even Service Agreements. We even work with Commercial HVAC Services. Our highly trained and experienced technicians are available for you any time of the day.

Contact us now for an appointment!