Thrifty Thursday: Save Money Heating & Cooling The House

We’ve had up-and-down weather here in NJ this October. So far we’ve had temperatures from cold and damp 40 degrees to breezy and sunny 68 degrees – and that was all within a week! Plus, we’ve already had SNOW!

So I got to thinking about ways to keep the house comfortably warm but not get a giant increase on my next gas bill.

• Change the temperature in your house. Your thermostat should be set no higher than 68 degrees in the winter and no lower than 78 degrees in the summer. Did you know that every extra degree you raise your heat in the winter can cost you an additional 3% in heating costs? And in summer, each degree cooler that you go can cost you 6% more.

• Install a programmable thermostat. With a programmable thermostat you can automatically lower the temperature in your house at set times. If no one is home all day long, drop it a few degrees between 9am and 4pm. By the time you arrive home it will be back up to temperature and you’ll have saved money all day long. Likewise at night when everyone is in bed.

• Be sure to replace or clean your furnace filters monthly. Having a dirty furnace filter restricts how much air can flow through the furnace – as a result you pay more because more energy is being used. Take a few minutes once a month to clean or replace your furnace filter and you can reduce your heating costs by as much as 5%.

So, what tips do you have to keep your home heating costs down this year? Share here!

PS: For more ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient And Save Money check out my how-to guide!