What Is the Most Cost-Efficient Way to Heat a Home During the Winter?

Maintaining a warm home is important when those Utah winter temperatures get frighteningly low outside. However, it’s also important to keep your house warm during winter in a way that doesn’t skyrocket your energy bill. What is the most cost-efficient way to heat a home.

For homeowners across the Beehive State, there are many ways to heat your home more efficiently this winter without breaking the bank.

What Is Causing Heat Loss in Your Home?

Discovering the hidden causes of your heat loss can provide some simple, cost-cutting opportunities. How to keep your house warm during the winter will depend on factors such as the:

• Age of your home
• Age and condition of your furnace
• Amount of open space in your home
• Cold-air draft openings around windows and doors
• Insulation (or lack thereof)

Let’s find some cost-effective solutions.

9 Ways to Keep Your House Warm During the Winter

You can keep your house warm during the winter without spending a lot of money. Consider these nine easy-to-implement solutions.

Drapes, Shades, or Blinds

Getting started on how to heat your home more efficiently this winter is easy if you already have drapes, curtains, blinds, or other window coverings. Simply closing your drapes can dramatically reduce your overall home heating costs.

Some additional tips include:

• Leave south-facing windows uncovered on sunny days.
• Trim any outside foliage or shrubbery blocking the sun.
• Cover all windows after sunset to create a layer of insulation.
• Layer curtains for better insulation.
• Hang window coverings close to the glass so that they rest on the windowsill or floor when you close them.
• Use velcro or magnetic tape to seal curtain edges to the wall or window frame.
• Cover northern-facing windows all day and night during the winter unless you need the vitamin D-enriched light.
• Install foam-board window inserts and use them in any windows you don’t use, such as in empty or unused rooms. They will block out the sunlight, but they’ll block out the cold, too.

A Programmable Thermostat

A programmable thermostat lets you preset temperatures for different times throughout the day and night. This device can save homeowners money all year round, but especially in the winter.

During the night or when your house is empty, set the temperature a little lower than what you’d want when you’re awake or at home. This saves the average homeowner between 10 and 20 percent off your bill.

Door Sweeps

Investigate all the doors in your home that lead outside. Do you feel cold air coming in through the gap between the door and the floor? If yes, install a door sweep to prevent that cold air from seeping inside your home.

A door sweep is typically a long, thin attachment that goes along the bottom edge of the door. Make sure it’s on the inside of the door and secured with several screws to keep it in place.

Do you heat your garage? Then inspect the bottom edge of your garage door to check for cold air drafts. When secured firmly, rubber garage door sweeps can block cold air immediately.

Quick-Seal Windows

This is one of the cheapest, most efficient ways to heat a house. If you have drafts around windows with wood, aluminum, or vinyl-clad molding, sealing the windows with a clear plastic film will prevent heat loss. It will also save 10 to 25 percent off your overall heating bill.

Sealing not only keeps the cold air out, but it can also help keep the hot air in, saving you money on your energy bill. Use kits with both plastic film and double-sided tape. For big drafts, use caulking gel and then spread the clear plastic film across the inside of your windows.

New Furnace Filters

Change your filters every month, especially during winter. This helps to ensure your furnace functions at optimal levels.

Regularly changing out your furnace filters saves energy and prevents the spread of dust and other air pollutants. If you remain consistent with changing your air filters, your entire system will last a lot longer and won’t need as many repairs.

Reverse Your Ceiling Fans

When a ceiling fan is programmed to spin counterclockwise, it cools a room. But if you reverse the rotation so that the fan spins clockwise, the hot air is forced down, which can help further warm a room. This is useful in rooms with cathedral or high-sloped ceilings. Run the fan at a low speed for the best effect.

Space Heaters

When used strategically, space heaters can save you a lot of money. Find one that matches your decor, and you won’t have to sacrifice the look of your home to stay comfortable all winter long.

Pick a room you use a lot, such as a den or home office, and place the space heater there.

Close the doors leading in and out of this room to keep it as warm as possible.

A Ductless Heat Pump

If one part of your home gets colder than other areas or you don’t have ductwork, then a ductless heat pump will heat your home efficiently. This solution uses up to 60% less energy than more typical electric heating systems.

Ductless heat pumps use a “zonal” heating system. It focuses on a particular area or zone rather than the entire home. Add as many zones as you need, and don’t waste money or energy heating areas that don’t need it.

Increase the Humidity

If you’re constantly reaching for lotion or lip balm, you may be suffering from a lack of moisture. Dry air also makes us feel colder. Simply raising the humidity in your home will help you feel more comfortable. 

How do you raise humidity levels? It’s easy!

Decorate your home with houseplants that require a lot of water and keep them hydrated. Substitute drying racks in your laundry room instead of using the dryer. Pour water into shallow bowls and set them on radiators or wood stoves. You can also pour water into a baking dish and set it out of the way, like on a high shelf or refrigerator.

Yes! Can Help

Now you have some ideas for what is the most cost-efficient way to heat a home. For more expert advice contact us today!

We can help you determine which type of heating will be the most cost-effective for you. Call us today and let our experienced professionals answer all of your heating-related questions.