9 Ways To Save on Heating Bills You Probably Haven’t Tried Yet

Winter is coming! Or, in many parts of the US, it is already here. I know we have snow on the ground in Utah plus freezing temperatures night and day. It’s cold! I’m all for keeping snug and warm inside my house, but I don’t like opening energy bills and going into shock at a $200 cost increase. I bet you don’t like that, either.

There are many ways to save on heating bills, some you may have heard of and others you haven’t tried yet. I want to share some things you may not have thought about doing. We do them all winter long at my house, and it does not take long to see the savings on our energy bills.

1. Dress warmly, even indoors.

Put on an extra outer layer, like a sweater. Or, try wearing base layers (long underwear). If you are dressed warmly, your body can stay at a comfortable temperature even when your home’s thermostat is turned down a few degrees cooler. You’ll save money for every degree your thermostat goes down. Use extra blankets and/or down comforters at night to stay warm in bed.

2. Winterize your home.

Use weatherstripping and caulk around doors and windows to prevent heat loss occurs and reduce the amount of cold drafts entering your home. This is an easy and inexpensive fix for leaky doorways and windows.

3. Take Advantage of Your Curtains and Blinds.

Open your curtains and blinds early in the day to let the sun’s warmth naturally help heat the house, and close them after sunset to keep the cold out. Hang heavy curtains over windows to add a layer of insulation against the cold, especially if you don’t have double-paned windows.

4. Use a Space Heater

Sometimes it isn’t necessary to use the furnace to heat the entire house. Close off unused rooms and use energy efficient space heaters to keep the spaces you actually live in warm. We put a Delonghi Slim Style Panel heater where my family tends to spend most of our time together. Even though the thermostat is turned down and the rest of the house is cooler, we are warm in this space. It’s a simple trick to keep us warm and still save money on bills.

You will want to find the best space heater for your needs. The Delonghi Slim Style Panel Heater hardly takes up any space (just 3 INCHES), but is still a powerful heater. It is a lightweight, portable heater that can be mounted on the wall. Panel heaters use convection and radiant heat to circulate warm air and heat up the room very quickly. I like using the eco friendly and convenient settings. Plus, the LED display gives the heater a sleek, modern look.

After the initial investment (about $149), the savings from reducing your furnace’s thermostat will offset the cost of using the Slim Style Panel Heater and then some.

5. Cover cold floors with rugs. 

Use rugs on cold flooring surfaces like tile, laminate, and hardwood flooring to help insulate and keep your feet warmer when you walk around the house.

6. Flip the switch on your ceiling fans.

You may not know this, but most ceiling fans have a switch that makes them rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise. In the winter, you want them to go in a clockwise direction because it pushes the warm air from the ceiling down.

7. Uncover your heating vents.

Check to make sure your heating vents are not being covered up by furniture (couches are often guilty of hiding vents.) Close heating vents in unused rooms.

8. Lock your windows. 

This is a good safety practice that will save money on heating bills, too. A locked window is more tightly closed than an unlocked window, so less cold gets in and less heat escapes through the cracks.  It make a difference for your heating bill.

9. Turn down the thermostat when you leave home.

If you plan to be away from home for a few hours or longer, turn your thermostat down ten to fifteen degrees. You’ll enjoy significant energy savings.

And there you have it. Nine ways you can stay warmer all winter and save money on energy bills while you’re at it. These ideas work for me, how about you?

Have you tried any of these energy-saving tips? How do you winterize your home? Please share your tips for saving on heat bills with us. 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of DELONGHI. The opinions and text are all mine.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of DELONGHI. The opinions and text are all mine.