It’s late in November, and, in many parts of the country, people have put their rakes, lawn mowers, and gardening tools into their sheds, and taken out the storm doors and windows.
Yes, it’s that time again. Although it may be a pain in the neck, the yearly ritual of putting up storm doors and windows is crucial to cutting winter heating bills, as it can increase energy efficiency by as much as 45%. However, with the costs of gas and home heating oil rising so drastically this year, it’s also important to take other preventive measures against the cold.
For example, during the upcoming seasons in which your furnace will be running steadily, you should clean or replace its filters once a month. As they become clogged with dirt, they will restrict airflow, making the furnace work harder, and increasing energy usage.
If you can’t remember – or can’t be bothered – to do this, install a permanent, electronic filter, which will save time and trouble, and keep the air cleaner. Because this type of filter traps around 88% of the dirt and debris floating around, as opposed to the merely 10%-40% caught by the old, disposable fiberglass filters, it is much better at controlling bacteria, viruses, pollen, and mold, which can cause illness and respiratory irritation.
Of course, no filter in the world is going to do a bit of good if the furnace itself is not running properly. Most experts recommend having it cleaned and checked every year, and making sure that it is adequately adjusted and lubricated at all times. This, too reduces energy usage, and can cut heating costs by about 5%.
One very important point to remember about this annual maintenance is to have it done in late summer or early fall, before you have to rely on the furnace. Once the weather gets cold, heating technicians get inundated with calls, many of them emergencies, and you may have to wait your turn. Worse yet, you may end up making one of the emergency calls, waiting, and, depending upon what time of day it is – or, simply, what day it is – paying double.
Turning down the heat when you’re leaving for the day will also help to save you money. In fact, for every degree that you lower the temperature, it’s possible to take 1% to 3% off your heating bill. If you have trouble remembering to do this, get a programmable thermostat.
Another really simple move, which can cut your heating bill by about 10%, is to change the direction of your ceiling fan. In summer, as it rotates counter-clockwise, it circulates the air, making the room feel cooler. When you switch it to a clockwise direction in winter, it pushes the warm air that has risen to the ceiling, back down into the room.
These are just a few, easy steps that you can take to shed some money from your heating bills. Now, you can use your savings to design a shed in a few, easy steps, at GazeboCreations.com.
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To see the entire collection of sheds and other outdoor structures, as well as a complete line of outdoor furniture, visit gazebocreations.com. To contact a design consultant, or a customer service representative, call 888-293-2339, or e-mail cs@gazebocreations.com.