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12 Tips to Lower Your Heating
Bill This Winter
by www.SixWise.com
This winter season is shaping up to be an expensive one:
heating costs are expected to rise 30-50 percent, and natural
gas will cost 40-50 percent more this winter than last.
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Experts recommend setting your home's thermostat at
68 degrees during the day and 60 degrees at night, then
putting on a sweater if you're cold.
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Why the major increase? According to Erin Dammen, an Alliant
Energy spokeswoman, three factors are responsible.
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Hurricanes on the Gulf Coast have disrupted gas pipelines
and refineries, causing supplies to diminish and costs
to increase.
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The economy is strong, prompting competition for fuel.
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Because the summer was so hot, power companies used natural-gas-fired
plants to generate electricity for air conditioners, which
decreased natural gas reserves.
Just how much your heat bill will increase depends on a number
of factors, but the primary one is one you can't control:
the weather. "Weather is the No. 1 variable on what people
pay for heating costs," Dammen said.
Mother Nature aside, there are many steps you can take to
lower your heating bill as much as possible, no matter how
low the temperatures go.
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Add a furnace humidifier. A 68-degree home with
some moisture may actually feel warmer than a 72-degree
home with dry air.
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Lock your windows. This ensures the tightest
seal to keep warm air in and cold air out.
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Replace your furnace filters. This should be
done at least every few months, but they can be cleaned
every month. Clogged furnace filters lower the heater's
efficiency.
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Use ceiling fans to your advantage. Fans are
not just for summer. Use them on the "reverse"
switch to push warm air down from the ceiling.
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Seal any gaps. Gaps and cracks can show up all
over your home: between brick and wood siding, around
windows and doors, in the attic and near the chimney.
Identify any gaps and then seal them off with weather
stripping or other sealants.
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Keep the chimney damper closed when not in use.
Otherwise, up to 8 percent of your heated air could go
up in smoke.
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Use rugs under doors. Rolling up a small rug
and placing it under your door will help to insulate the
room.
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Up to 8 percent of your home's heated air can escape
through the fireplace if you leave the damper open all
the time.
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Open shutters/drapes during the day. When the
sun is shining, take advantage of the extra heat by keeping
your shutters/drapes open. Close them in the evening for
extra insulation.
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Set the thermostat to 68 degrees during the day,
60 degrees at night. Every degree above these temperatures
can increase your bill by 3 percent. If you feel cold,
put on a sweater and get cozy under a warm blanket.
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Keep hot water use to a minimum. This will reduce
your costs of heating the water. Also, using low-flow
showerheads and faucets can cut your hot water costs by
10-16 percent.
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Install storm doors and windows. This helps dramatically
in keeping cold air out and warm air in.
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Don't rely on portable heaters. Keeping your
home overly cool and relying on small portable heaters
to keep you warm is not likely to save you money in the
long run. One portable heater that runs for eight hours
a day can add over $60 a month to your bill.
Keeping Your Home's Air Clean in the Winter
During the winter, it's important to keep the air in your
home clean and well circulated, as opening windows for ventilation
is usually not an option. To keep your home's air as clean
as possible, follow these important tips:
Keep Dust Out
Several thousand dust mites, along with a host of other unsavory
particles, can be found in just a pinch of household
dust. A few high-quality mats, like the Waterhog
Grand Premier Mats, placed strategically around your home
(such as in doorways and other highly trafficked areas), will
go a long way toward reducing the amount of dirt and dust
that get into your home in the first place. Once inside, that
dirt gets circulated into the air, and you breathe it in.
You can also keep house dust to a minimum by using the right
cleaning tools. The
PerfectClean line of mops, dusters, towels and more, which
are used by leading hospitals and other health care organizations
are ideal for this. Rather than just pushing dust around,
or worse, stirring it up into the air, PerfectClean products
are made with positively charged ultramicrofibers that pick
up everything in their path--including dust and all of its
microscopic attachments.
Filter Your Air
Because most of us spend the majority of our time indoors,
and indoor air can be two to 100 times more polluted than
outdoor air, according to the Environmental Protection Agency,
many people are choosing to filter their home's air.
Keeping in mind these tips to reduce your heating bill while
keeping your home's air clean will ensure that this winter
you'll be warm and toasty--not left out in the cold.
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