This is that time of year when keeping your home warm is vital. But it’s not just keeping your home warm – it’s keeping it efficient. We all know what happens when winter heating is not done efficiently: At the end of the month, a big bill arrives. Depending on the size of your home, winter heating bills can quickly escalate into the hundreds of dollars – and this is a monthly expense that can often be trimmed down by taking a few practical actions, or investing in a few practical upgrades.
If you think your heating bill is higher than it needs to be, consider these practical ways to eliminate wastage and make your home more efficient for winters to come.
Upgrade your siding
Siding itself generally isn’t considered to be factor in terms of energy loss. However, a lack of insulation (or poor-quality insulation) in the walls will definitely play a part in lowering your home’s energy efficiency. If you’re in need of a siding upgrade anyway (and there are a whole host of reasons for this, both aesthetic and functional), it’s a great opportunity to upgrade the siding in the walls at the same time. Better insulation and new siding can bring you many different benefits – including energy savings for those cold winter months.
Repair/upgrade your chimney components
Indoor fireplaces are fantastic for keeping warm on those cold winter nights, but if the chimney and its various components are not in perfect working order, you could be losing a lot more heat through that chimney than you are actually gaining by having a fire. A lot of people forget about the importance of chimney maintenance as they go about their daily lives, and problems can easily develop as a result. The flue is one of the main culprits for heat loss during the winter, but other components of your chimney can play a part as well. Planning for a regular chimney inspection is necessary from a fire-prevention standpoint, but it can also reveal problems that cause heat loss.
Repair or replace your windows
Windows are one of the most underrated aspects of a home – not only from an aesthetic point of view, but practically speaking. Window problems cause an astronomical amount of heat (and therefore money) to escape from American homes into the cold winter days and nights each year. This is a problem that may require an investment to fix, but the benefits will keep rolling in for years to come. Getting all new windows certainly isn’t always necessary either – repairing individual windows that are faulty and causing heat-loss is also an option. For this, you’ll want to have a professional inspection to pinpoint any areas where heat is being lost, and discuss options for repairing those areas.
A trusted and experienced professional in your corner
Anytime you’re considering an upgrade or investment like the ones listed here, you want to make sure you have a trusted and experienced professional in your corner. Companies who specialize in siding, chimneys and windows are often the best bet, because they deal with heat-loss issues often, and are well-versed in helping homeowners find economical and effective solutions for preserving heat and saving cash all winter long.