How to Save Money on Heating Bills

If you’re startled by your heating bill after the holidays, you’re not alone. In Indianapolis, keeping the house toasty warm through December can take a lot. However, with three or more months of winter ahead, there’s still time to adjust a few practices for a lower heating bill in the future.

Here are some practical ways to cut energy costs through the winter—without freezing.

What Should I Put My Heat on to Save Money in Winter?

You can lower your heating bill by setting the temperature to 68°F while at home. You can also save more by dialing as low as 55°F when away from the house or asleep. The lower your home’s temperature setting, the less money you spend on heating. Just pile a few extra blankets on the bed!

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, daily reducing your home’s temperature by 10% for 8-10 hours can reduce your yearly heating costs by 5% to 15%. You can minimize discomfort by installing a programmable thermostat that adjusts the temperature before you wake up or come home.

Of course, the best temp to save money in winter has to include consideration of your needs. If your household includes very young children or elders, don’t turn the heat below 68°F. Both groups need warmer indoor temperatures since their bodies have more trouble producing enough heat internally.

Six Ways to Save on Heating Costs

Keeping your home warm through winter is a priority. So how do you keep your family warm and your pipes safe from freezing without paying hefty bills every month?

Try these other heat-saving tips for winter:

Lower your water heater temperature. You can save on winter heating bills by lowering your water heater thermostat. Adjusting the temperature from the typical 140°F to 120°F can save 11% on costs. If you reduce shower time by half, you can also bring costs down by 33%.
Replace furnace filters. Clogged filters make your furnace work harder to push the same amount of air through. Keep your filters clean to minimize the energy your heater burns to circulate the heat in the home.
Only heat rooms you use. Close vents and doors to rooms you’re not using to minimize wasted heat. You may also consider space heaters for rooms you don’t use often.
Prevent drafts. Inspect your doors and windows for signs of broken weatherstripping that can leak warm air. Repair any damage. You may also consider taping the windows for the winter to improve insulation.
Circulate warm air with your ceiling fan. Turning your fan to rotate clockwise pushes the rising warm air back down to keep the room toasty. If you have vaulted ceilings in your home, a ceiling fan can keep the air from getting trapped at the top.
Make use of sunlight. Your drapes are a layer of insulation that keeps the warm air from cooling off against the glass. Open your drapes while the sun is shining to let the warmth come in, and close the drapes afterward to keep the heat from leeching back out.

These tips cover how to save on a gas heating bill and an electric heating bill. The goal is to reduce your heat use overall in the house, which doesn’t depend on which heating system you use.

How to Save on Heating Costs in an Apartment

You don’t have as much control over your living situation in an apartment, but you can tweak several of these tips.

If you aren’t allowed to hang a curtain rod, use Command™ hooks or other easy-remove hooks to hang curtains in front of drafty windows. You may not control the temperature of your water heater, but you can take a warm or cool shower instead of a hot one. If you have an older manual thermostat or radiator heating that you can’t replace, set timers on your phone to remind you to turn down the temperature every day before you leave for work or go to bed.

Do Electric Fireplaces Save on Heating Bills?

Yes, mainly because electric fireplaces allow you to only heat a space when you use it. You can also choose to turn the overall heat in your home down and use the electric fireplace to bring the most-used rooms to a more comfortable temperature.

Keep Your Indianapolis Home Toasty Without Breaking the Bank

A comfortable home through the winter doesn’t have to mean sky-high energy bills. If you’re not satisfied with your heating savings after implementing these tips, there are other ways to save money. Upgrading to an energy-efficient HVAC system will make all the difference.

Contact our professional technicians at One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning of Indianapolis, IN, to upgrade your system's efficiency. Simply request service online or call us at (317) 795-0373 to get started.