Here’s How You Can Save on Heating this Winter

Here’s How You Can Save on Heating this Winter

Reducing your electricity bill by making your home more energy efficient is as good for your wallet as it is for the environment.

 

But spending less on heating is not always easy in wintertime. Here is our advice to help you accomplish this feat!

Inspect Your Home’s Air Sealing and Insulation

The first step towards decreasing heat loss by 25% is to ensure that your home is properly insulated. Your windows and doors must likewise be well sealed.

In fact, if your windows are more than 20 years old, if they are difficult to open or if they are neither watertight nor airtight, you should replace them with Energy Star certified models. This could reduce your heating bill by up to 10%.

Replace Your Thermostats

A good way of optimizing your energy usage and saving on fees is to swap out your bimetallic thermostats for electronic ones. Again, this could save you up to 10% on your annual heating costs by allowing you to set the temperature in each room according to a precise schedule. Smart thermostats are an equally excellent option but do your research beforehand because they aren’t compatible with every heating system.

Don’t have room in your budget to replace all your thermostats at once? Start with the rooms that require the most heating as well as open concepts areas. 

Install a Heat Pump

Because they don’t generate any heat, heat pumps consume less energy than other heating systems. Instead, they extract and concentrate warm air from outside and propel it throughout the home. Moreover, you may qualify for financial assistance from Hydro-Québec if you choose an eligible model. 

Worthwhile Tips and Tricks

There are several small things you can do to reduce your electricity bill this winter.

·      Don’t place furniture in front of your house’s heat sources, such as electric baseboards.

 

·      Close the damper when you aren’t using the fireplace so hot air doesn’t escape up the chimney.

 

·      Turn down the heat by a few degrees every night when you go to bed and do the same in rooms that are unoccupied—remembering to shut their doors—as well as when you are out.

 

·      Do you tend to you crank up the heat when you feel chilly hoping that the temperature will climb faster? Hydro-Québec confirms that, sadly, this isn’t effective! So don’t needlessly waste electricity.

 

·      Make sure your forced-air heating system’s grills are always clean.

 

·      Moreover, if you want your heating system to function properly for as long as possible, take care to regularly clean the filters.

Now you only have to follow the advice that applies to your home to significantly reduce your heating costs this winter!

RE/MAX Québec

By RE/MAX Québec

By RE/MAX Québec

A leader in the real estate industry since 1982, the RE/MAX network brings together the most efficient brokers.