7 Ideas to Lower Your Heating Bill in Calgary During the Winter
Your house is likely at the top of the list of your most precious investments. It helps you financially through boosting equity, and it’s a place to enjoy with your family and create memorable moments, too. During the winter, you might also be experiencing increased heating costs.
Consequently, finding techniques to lower your heating bill in Calgary without compromising comfort can appear difficult.
As far as energy efficiency, houses are like cars. Some require a lot of energy while others use it slowly. Regardless of what sort of home you live in, there are ways to end the chill this winter. The Experts are here with seven suggestions to keep your family toasty without driving up your energy bill.
1. Replace Your Your Air Filter
It’s the most inexpensive suggestion out there. It’s also the best way to keep your heater functioning properly during the winter.
The type of filter and seasonal factors affect how frequently you should get a new one. Soaring allergen counts, pets and residence size may also impact its durability. In most cases, cheap filters should be changed monthly. Pleated ones made with better material could work for three months or longer.
“It’s really the large thing homeowners forget about,” said Jim Hughes, senior manager of education and training at Service Experts. “The more overloaded the filter is, the less air is able to move through it and actually warm the home. A clogged filter makes your heating system work harder.”
2. Schedule Routine HVAC Service
It’s common to have a tech come to your house in the spring for AC service. That way, your air conditioner is prepped for the summer.
But don’t overlook scheduling an appointment for furnace service before it snows too.
Among other steps, an inspection commonly includes:
- Examining thermostat settings
- Cleaning and oiling internal pieces
- Examining system shutdown and startup processes
Maintenance helps lower the likelihood of facing an emergency repair in the middle of a blizzard. Some reports have found as many as 75% of “no heat” calls could have been stopped with standard service.
3. Inspect Windows and Doors for Leaks
Windows and doors are a primary entry point for frigid air. Sealing window and door frames is an cost effective approach to help keep cold air out.
Here’s one assessment that Hughes advises.
Latch a door. Can you see any light? If that’s the case, it’s not fully sealed. Adjustments or weather-stripping may be required.
If your home has single-pane windows, you should consider a dual-pane upgrade.
A lot of homeowners insulate single-pane windows with plastic sheeting.
It’s not a bad solution, but dual-pane windows provide much better insulation for keeping cool air where it belongs.
When you switch to double-pane windows, your energy savings could be 25% or greater.
4. Restrict Use of Vented Appliances
If you require the exhaust fan during cooking, Hughes suggests against leaving it running for too long.
The same goes for for the dryer. Don’t let it to run after your clothes are dry.
Any venting appliance or exhaust fan pulls out warm air outside and pulls in cold air. Using these appliances longer than needed will make your heater to work harder to battle the unnecessary chill.
5. Check Your House’s Perimeter for Holes
Inspect your home’s building envelope. This is the area that protects your residence from the weather. If there’s a basement, be on the lookout for moving cobwebs or cold trickling in close by the edges.
Polyurethane sealers and other solutions can be bought to plug basement walls allowing air into your house. Another economical move is to add foam seals for fixture bases, for example ceiling fans, overhead lights or wall outlets.
They’re quick to put in and are great at blocking cold air in the winter.
6. Check Insulation Levels in Your Attic
It’s worth confirming that you have thick enough insulation levels
Hughes suggests looking at the ENERGY STAR® zone map to determine the recommended R-value for your home’s walls and attic space. This recommendation is established on the geographic location where you’re located.
7. Think About Our Advantage Program™
Winter can be rough for homeowners with underperforming units.
If your furnace is malfunctioning or in need of major repair, there’s a reasonable chance you’re not prepared to spend thousands on a modern system.
That’s why we have our Advantage Program. It helps homeowners like you avoid pricey service calls through a small monthly fee.
We’ll also put in a high-efficiency system in your residence. Plus our Expert techs will repair and service it for you without any additional out-of-pocket fee
Schedule an Appointment with Us Now
Make your Calgary residence more energy efficient with professional assistance from Service Experts.
For more information about our Advantage Program or to schedule an appointment for HVAC service, call us at 587-315-5271 or contact us online now.
