Now that we’ve experienced a few cold fronts in our area, you’ve probably thought about boosting your furnace performance by making your home more efficient. It’s just good sense to make sure you’ve had your annual furnace maintenance performed, that you change the filter regularly and that your home’s insulation is the proper R-value for our region.
However, beyond these basics, there are some additional measures you may want to take. Read on for some tips on how to lower heating bills most homeowners may not know about.
- Check weatherstripping. Have a look at yours. Is it worn out or torn around doors and windows? That probably means you’re letting in cold air and letting heat escape. You should replace old weatherstripping and caulk where appropriate.
- Inspect electrical boxes. Another area where you’re probably leaking heat and letting in cold air is around electrical boxes. Take off the plate and use acrylic latex caulk to fill gaps or foam sealant for larger gaps. Before replacing the plate, put a foam gasket in place.
- Adjust the threshold. Can you see daylight under your threshold? Remove the screws from the threshold and lower it so that it prevents drafts from entering your home. Make sure it’s not so low that it wears out the weatherstripping.
- Plug up exterior wall holes. Oftentimes, you’ll feel a draft around pipes, cables and gas lines, which means you need to replace worn-out caulk.
- Cover windows and glass doors. Windows and glass doors can be one of the major points for heat loss in a home. Use inexpensive plastic film from a home improvement store to carefully cover the glass. Then, apply carefully so that it can’t be seen.
- Install a programmable thermostat. By installing a programmable thermostat and setting it on a regular schedule — higher when the home is occupied, lower when occupants are sleeping or away — you may shave as much as 10 percent off your heating bill annually.
For more information on how to lower heating bills, contact the experts at James Lane Air Conditioning and Plumbing Co. in Wichita Falls. We’ve been serving the region since 1957.
