Last week I wrote about how nice it is to have a draft-free home. And as the weather has been changing here (too quickly in my opinion!) I’ve been feeling especially grateful for our well-functioning heater. Here’s a few tips on how to make your heater work better for you too, and save some energy!
The first thing you should be doing is checking your furnace filter regularly. Not just when the seasons change and you turn your heater back on. Check it every month. Yep, you heard me. Every. Month. If it looks dirty, change it out. When you change your filter on a regular basis it helps your furnace run better. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool — wasting energy. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system — leading to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure.
Another thing to try is a programmable thermostat. They start at about $20 at Home Depot. These are fantastic for making sure your home isn’t being heated while you’re gone. Program it for a lower temperature during the day while you’re at work and a warmed temperature while you’re home. EnergyStar.gov says that through proper use of pre-programmed settings, a programmable thermostat can save you about $180 every year in energy costs. So a ~$20 investment saves you $180 each year.
If you need some more suggestions and ideas on how to heat your home more efficiently and save energy, check out EnergyStar.gov’s page here.