How to Save on Your Heating Bill in Winter

Everyone enjoys saving money, but it can be difficult when it comes to winter heating. Heating costs are a large part of the expenses for a homeowner to combat our freezing winters in North America. So what can you do?

There are many ways to keep toasty warm while keeping your heating bill at a reasonable level. Here are nine tips for staying warm while saving some cash

1. Efficient Heating: The most efficient form of heating is low wattage convection heating. This is the reason the Envi heater was invented. To take the place of or to supplement the high energy furnace that almost all North American homes use. The furnace, while outputting copious amounts of heat is not designed to be efficient. What we mean by this is that one furnace is used to heat an entire home or place of business. Every room, every nook and cranny is heated. But often we do not need all this space warmed, just the areas that we use. Central furnace heating is especially inefficient when we try to warm a cold room at the end of the ducting run by raising the thermostat. The best way to combat this problem is to use an efficient room heater in these areas that needs to be warmed. This can keep you toasty while the rest of the house is not using up excess heat, and by extension, money. Envi wall mounted heaters are an excellent solution and were designed specifically to solve the problems mentioned above.


2. Lower Thermostat at Night: Many people leave the thermostat up while sleeping, but this is not needed. If you only turn down the heat by ten degrees or so, you can save up to 10% on your annual heating bills (U.S. Department of Energy). And when you turn down your central thermostat, make sure you install efficient room heaters such as the  Envi wall mounted heater to supplement the room where you are sleeping or working.


3. The Sun: It is an excellent source of temperature control no matter what season it is. Make sure to open up any curtains in windows facing the south during the day to take advantage of this free heat. However, don’t forget to close those same curtains after the sun sets to ensure that heat stays within your home.


4. Furnace Maintenance: Nobody likes to change the furnace filters and many people put off doing so. Don’t be one of the people who does this. Yes, it will cost you money to buy a new filter, but your heating system will work better. You will also end up saving money in the long run without all that dust and debris clogging up the works of your furnace. Many of our customers have reported that once they start to “spot heat” their house using heat where and when they need it, their furnace does not come any where near as often as before.


5. Ceiling Fans: Many people do not know this secret, but fans can help with heating in the winter. In the summer, running a ceiling fan in a counter-clockwise direction helps push hot air up. However, in winter, running it clockwise can help keep heat in the room. Make sure that you turn any ceiling fans on a low setting to help push the air down toward you.


6. Don’t Dry Out the Air: Did you know that moist air holds heat better? It is true. In winter you may find that the air begins to feel very dry. One way to take advantage of this is by running a humidifier in rooms where the furnace is running. You will feel much more comfortable, even if your thermostat is set at a lower temperature than usual. Another option is to use houseplants to increase the humidity of your dwelling. Another way and something a lot of our customers don’t realize is that by using their Envi wall mounted heaters the air in their home will not dry out as much compared to traditional furnaces or other space heaters. The reason is due to the low wattage and much lower heating element surface temperatures. It is the very hot surfaces of the central furnace coils and space heater elements that dry out the air. The same is true for wood burning stoves and fireplaces that have very high temperatures. Consider using the Envi heater to not only retain moisture but also to help with your families health. By not drying out the air during the winter, the Envi winter helps respiratory problems, dry skin and “dry eye syndrome”.

Using these tips, or even just a few of them, will give you some relief when it’s time to pay your heating bills plus you and your family members will feel much more comfortable in your home and not be fighting over the thermostat – a win-win for everyone. Stay warm this winter!