Winter can be a harsh season. With the cold weather being an evil that most families have to accept, it makes sense that home heating costs tend to increase in winter. You have to switch on the heating system and even take hotter meals just to help you get through the rough winter months.
However, if you aren’t careful enough, it can be quite easy to pay a higher winter bill despite having picked a pocket-friendly electricity plan. Around a third of US, families struggle to pay their electricity bills, according to TexasElectricityPlans.com. In some cases, the increase in electricity bills might come from subtle things that you might not even realize you are doing. Does lowering your energy bill means that you need to be frugal in how you heat your home? No, it doesn’t. All it takes is a few tricks to comfortably lower your home electricity costs without having to go through cold nights. For instance, maybe you might be paying too much on your electricity bills and need a few tricks to correct this. You could always try out energy comparison websites like Electricityrates.com to compare energy providers in your area and switch to a cheaper electricity provider to help save on your electricity bill.
Here are four ways to lower your electricity bills without affecting your comfort levels:
Insulate and Seal Your Home
Getting a bargain on your electricity plan is no match to an inefficiently sealed home. You might think that you will be paying an affordable rate for electricity, but once you start heating your home, the costs soar. Issues such as a leak on the windows or at the doors can only mean that most of the heated air in your home escapes outside.
To compensate for this lost warm air, your heating system will work overtime, increasing your energy bills. On the other hand, poor insulation of your home means that most of the heat produced by the heating system will be wasted as it finds its way outside your walls. Other than improving your home insulation, it might be wise to seal points on your doors and windows that might leak heat.
Watch Out For the Dust
While it might seem like a trivial guest in your home, dust could easily lead to a rise in your energy costs. If dust finds its way into your heating equipment, for instance, it will make it work harder. This often results in more energy being used up without your home being heated enough.
On the other hand, dust may also settle on your vents and filters, which limits the flow of heated air to the rest of your home. As such, you should look to eliminate dust in your home during the winter months. Additionally, it might pay to use new filters every once in a while to reduce the effect of the accumulated dust.
Switch to a Smart Thermostat
Why leave your thermostat on every time you leave your home? Since you won’t be using it, this counts as wasted energy. While you might argue that you typically change the settings of your thermostat before you walk out of your door, it is quite easy to forget, especially when rushing to work.
Sadly, this wasted energy will still count in your electricity bill. With a smart thermostat, it can be quite easy to pre-program your heating system to heat your home at a certain temperature during certain times of the day. When combined with system zoning, this can be a sure way to keep your home warm enough.
Pick the Right Equipment
Everything from your heating to your lighting equipment has an expiry date. The closer it gets to it, the more inefficient it becomes. For instance, your thermostat might start misbehaving. Instead of procrastinating to fix such equipment, it might pay to fix them as soon as they show signs of wear and tear. Or better yet, why not upgrade to new equipment with a better shelf life to save on energy?
Conclusion
Winter power bills do not always have to be shocking. As long as you have already chosen a cheap electricity plan, maintaining a low power bill should be easy. Consider the tips above to enjoy a pocket-friendly and warm winter.
