Simple DIY Tips to Save on Heating Costs

As a homeowner you know how many expenses your bank account faces each month and how easily the unexpected can happen to your home (throwing a wrench into your financial plans). As a result you’re constantly looking for ways to save money around the house and one of the best ways to save is to address heating costs. Here are a few simple tips to reduce energy and same money on heating bills.

Replace Defective Weatherstripping

When weatherstripping around doors and windows gets old or is damaged it can allow drafts to form and cold air to enter your home. When this happens your heating system has to work harder to keep your home warm and toasty. On average 7 – 12% of a home’s heat is lost through doors and windows. Properly taking care of weatherstripping can reduce and eliminate these drafts and improve the efficiency of your heating system.

Take a Look At Thresholds

If you stand back and look at the exterior doors in your home can you see light coming in from underneath them? Can you feel drafts coming in from the same area? If so you might need to adjust the height of the threshold your door is situated on. This gap can be letting cold air into your home, and similar to poor weather stripping it can be forcing your heating system to work harder than it needs to. Depending on your skill level and the type of threshold you have installed this may or may not be any easy task, but it definitely falls within the skill set of a do-it-yourselfer.

Plastic Film

This might seem like something only your grandparents do, but using plastic film to cover large patio doors and windows can help create a barrier that prevents heat loss through the glass. Installation of this plastic film is easy and the cost is insignificant compared to what you’ll save on your heating bills.

Insulate Your Attic Door

Typically, your attic isn’t part of the main living space in your home and doesn’t need to be heated. If your attic door isn’t properly insulated, warm air could be escaping into your attic. This wasted warm air is wasted energy that your heating system had to use to create it. Simply insulating your attic door can prevent heat loss into your attic and save you money.

Seal Your Ductwork

If you have exposed ductwork anywhere in your basement or attic then take a few minutes and inspect it for holes and places where it may have separated. By sealing up holes and separations you can increase the efficiency of your heating system, so warm air can more effectively get to the parts of your home it needs to rather than heating spaces you aren’t using. Metal tape can easily seal these areas and keep warm air moving in the right direction.

Choose Biofuel

Biofuel will help you save money, reduce your carbon footprint and help cut America’s dependence on foreign oil. Princeton Fuel Oil is proud to be the area’s only Biofuel heating oil dealer. For more information on your how you can save on heating costs, contact Princeton Fuel Oil today at 1-800-253-9001.