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Heating and cooling your apartment or home can cost you a lot, especially for those in areas of the world where temperatures are a bit on the unpredictable side. Luckily for most homeowners, there are adjustments you can make to help reduce your home heating bill and save money on a weekly basis. Here are just a few tips to help you start reducing your heating consumption while keeping your home warm enough during the cold season. Saving on Home Heating Is Easy If You... Have a go at the following 12 tips. I tried and tested them myself and I can tell you they work. All you have to do is try for yourself and see which ones actually work for you, your house, family, and environment! 1. Bundle Yourself up with Warm Clothing and Accessories One of the best ways to keep warm in the winter time while cutting down on your home heating bill is by bundling up with warm socks, sweaters, and thermals. It’s never a bad idea to invest in a thick pair of slippers or extra comforters, as well! By keeping your body warm, you will feel more comfortable in your home when the heat is set to a lower temperature. 2. Plug All the Holes Unfortunately, the pipes that run through your home often have some open space around them which leaves plenty of room for cold air to fill your house. This generally includes water pipes, gas lines, and power cables. Not to mention, these holes can lead to cracks that further cause destabilization to your home while letting in pesky insects and mice. The best step towards avoiding this is with the use of expanding foam. Simply apply a layer around any cracks or holes you see until you no longer feel any air coming through. 3. Prevent Any Blockage From Your Heaters There’s nothing worse than keeping your heaters on for an extended amount of time and feeling no difference in the temperature. By blocking your heaters with a couch or table, you’re going to get a poor displacement of heat around your home. Also, you will be wasting money on your bill. In this case, it’s best to keep any objects away from the heaters if they are big enough to block their airflow. 4. Be Sure to Cover Your Patio Doors and Walls With a Plastic Film By covering your patio’s windows and walls, you can prevent any loss of heat. Although plastic film for an entire patio can be expensive, you can find cheaper ones at your local home center. The film is incredibly easy to apply, and in the spring, it can be taken off in minutes. 5. Replace and Repair Worn Weatherstripping Worn or damaged weatherstripping around your home can let in cold air and cause your heating bill to soar. Nearly 12 percent of an average home’s heat loss happens around doors and windows, which often causes homeowners to crank up the heat. By re-weatherstripping your home, you can prevent cold air coming inside the house and causing the room temperature to slip. Weatherstripping in general needs to be replaced every few years, so it’s best to work on replacing it every year or so to give yourself the best protection against the cold. 6. Lock Your Windows and Doors A closed window can still allow plenty of hot air to escape and cold air to enter. This is because they are not pressed as tightly together as they could be. When you lock your windows and doors, try to seal them in more tightly. Doing something this simple can make all the difference on your home heating bill. This is especially important if you live up north where it snows a lot. 7. Evaluate and Improve Your Insulation Your insulation is basically like your house’s winter coat. It keeps the warm air in and blocks out the cold air. Thousands of dollars may be lost every year on energy costs because of poor insulation. There may not even be a need to hire an expensive technician to install insulation. Head down to your local hardware store to purchase some cheap insulation. Then, walk around your house and use it to cover up all the spots from where heat may escape. The best place to start is with weather stripping for your doors and windows, as this is where a lot of the heat escapes from. This insulation is very inexpensive and easy to apply on your own. 8. Buy a Programmable Thermostat The benefits that come with the use of a programmable thermostat are amazing. They allow you to automatically lower the temperature in your house for a set amount of time. If you turn down the heat by 10 to 15 degrees while you are at work or sleeping, you can slash your heating bill by 10%. Because of the growing popularity of these devices, they are cheaper than ever before with some costing as little as $25. 9. Purchase a Space Heater Turn down your furnace and supplement your heat with a portable heater. Placing one of these in the most popular room in the house can help you cut costs on your overall heating bill. This way, the room that you are in will be warm while all the other rooms are cooler. True, you need to take into account the initial costs of the heater and the cost of electricity. However, even with these costs, you will still be saving significantly all winter long. 10. Adjust Your Thermostat for Nighttime Hours At night when you are sleeping, turn down your thermostat 10 to 15 degrees. According to the US Department of Energy, by doing so, you can decrease your home heating bill by up to 10% over the year. This is when those extra blankets can really come in handy. 11. Only Heat the Rooms You Use Frequently If you have rooms in your home that never get used, consider closing them off from heat to save money. Close the vents that lead to those rooms to save on energy costs and direct the heat where it is needed. There is no point in heating the spare guest room that only gets used once a year. 12. Use the Sun to Your Advantage The sun is the ultimate source of free heating for your home. You should center your whole home heating plan around the sun. During daylight hours, open your curtains on the side of your residence that faces south. This will allow the heat to enter your home. When the sun goes down, close your curtains to keep the heat inside your home. Conclusion Saving yourself money on home heating is an easy thing to do, although tedious at some times. By applying these small simple steps, you can give yourself a warmer home and a happier bill once your monthly statement comes around. If my 12 steps on saving on home heating helped you or if you have your own tips to share, feel free to comment below.

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