When temperatures begin to drop, it is only natural for your thoughts to turn to home heating. But in places where warm conditions tend to be the norm for most of the year, the brief cold season can easily sneak up on you. All year long you have been enjoying sun and warmth outside and cool air conditioning inside, until suddenly you’re not.
When winter finally does arrive, you want to be sure your home heating system is up to the challenge of keeping you warm and toasty. In this post, learn more about the two most popular home heating systems in warm-predominant climates. Also, learn what to do to prepare your home heating system to do its best work this winter season.
Heating System 1: The Gas Furnace
Gas furnaces are popular in warm-centric climates for three reasons:
- For the brief period each year that you need heating, you will have a very reliable heating system that typically requires little maintenance.
- The natural gas or propane used to operate gas furnaces is often a cheaper fuel source than electricity.
- They are a relatively inexpensive option compared to other heating solutions.
Heating System 2: The Electric Heat Pump
Similarly, electric heat pumps are a common fixture in warm areas for three reasons:
- They can be easily installed in homes that previously went without heating during brief winters.
- They perform optimally in areas where temperatures dip below freezing only rarely.
- They represent a very efficient heat source that is eco-friendlier than the traditional furnace.
What Does Heating Your Home Cost?
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, more than half of the average home owner’s annual energy expenses goes just to heating the home. How much you will pay for home heating depends on part on what type of fuel source you are using. For instance, if you use natural gas (such as for a gas furnace), current estimates show that you can expect to pay about $700 for heating each year.
If you use heating oil, you may pay up to $1,700 for heating your home during the winter season; whereas, if you use electricity, you can expect to pay just over $900 for heating.
4 Tips to Keep Heating Costs Affordable
If you are like most homeowners, you likely don’t relish the thought of dropping anywhere from $700 to $1,700 of your hard-earned cash just on heating costs each year! Happily, there are some ways you can lower your heating bills. These four expert tips will show you how.
Tip 1: Program your thermostat.
By programming your thermostat, you can achieve cost savings of up to 10 percent annually. One way is to set the thermostat lower when no one is home so you aren’t paying to heat an empty house. Another way is to set the thermostat down a degree or two each night when everyone is bundled up in blankets.
Tip 2: Weather-strip and seal your house.
Weather-stripping is an easy and cheap DIY project that can save you up to 15 percent on home heating. The goal is to keep drafts of cold air from coming in and warm air from leaking out.
Tip 3: Keep your home heating system properly maintained.
Scheduling a simple annual inspection and maintenance check of your heating system just prior to the first cold front can be an annual budget lifesaver. Reason being, it is much cheaper to have minor repairs done on the front end than face a major emergency heat outage in the dead of winter.
Tip 4: Reverse your ceiling fan.
Most ceiling fans have a small switch near the base that needs to be reversed during cold weather so the fan will blow the hot air down into the room, making more efficient use of all available heating.
By following these four tips while carefully monitoring your home heating costs each month, you can look forward to spending less on heating without sacrificing warmth and comfort this winter season.
