The Bureau of Labor Statistics released their monthly Consumer Price Index report today…and the news isn’t good for those looking to heat their homes this winter.
Energy prices rose 2.8% month-over-month. That increase takes into account the gas we put in our cars, but also the heating oil, propane, natural gas and other heating fuels we use to keep our homes warm. However, the long term trend in energy prices is much, much worse.
Year-over-year, from July 2010 to July 2011, energy prices have soared 19%. It’s getting more and more expensive for all of us to heat our homes, and the forecasted trend in prices only points upward.
Is it time for you to move to Plan B when it comes to keeping your residence warm this winter? What is Plan B for heating?Infrared Heaters.
Quartz infrared heaters are so much more energy efficient than old-fashioned forced heating systems, baseboard systems, and other conventional heating system, that it’s truly staggering. And the less you use these inefficient solutions and turn to portable infrared heaters instead, the more you save.
One of the main reasons infrared heaters are so much more efficient is the way they heat. Old-fashioned systems pump dried, warm air into your rooms, while infrared heaters warm the objects in the room, which capture and release the warmth into the air evenly; from wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling.
You already know that the time to start preparing your home for winter isn’t when cold weather is at your door step. The time to prepare is now. In this post, we’re going to show you how you can combat the high prices of heating oil…in just six steps!
Step 1. Seal Off The Drafts
One of the biggest heat (and money) wasters is caused by leaks in your windows and doors. The rememdy is simple: find those leaks and stop them up with caulking or weather-stripping. We’d recommend a tried and true way of identifying leaks. Try the incense test.
First, carefully hold a lit stick of incense up to joints. When you see the smoke waver, you know that you have a leak.
A less sophisticated way of keeping the heat where you want work wonders as well. If you have an infrared heater in the bedroom, you may want to keep it there. Simply place a rolled bath towel across the bottom of the door. You can even use this trick to keep the cold air outside…well, outside. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, reducing drafts can cut heating energy usage by 5% to 30%!
And one last easy solution: work those windows, curtains and blinds. Whenever you need extra warmth, open them and let the sun’s rays do the heating for free. When the sun isn’t shining, close them so that they will help insulate your home from the cold.
All of these actions will help you get the most out of your portable, quart infrared heater.
Step 2. Turn The Thermostat Lower
This is one of the great benefits of owning an infrared heater. You can turn your thermostat way down and stay warm with your Comfort Furnace or Heat-A-Lot nearby. The math is simple, and we hear of the benefits from our customers year after year. Basically, the lower you set your thermostat, the more heating dollars you’ll save. In fact, for every degree you lower the dial, you’ll save between 1% to 3% on your heating bill!
Step 3. Use A Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat will make your life easier, and cut down on the excessive use of heating oil. It allows much finer control over where the heating is set, and doesn’t forget to to turn down the heat at night. In doing so, the average household can save – at least – $150 a year according to the EPA.
If you use this in conjunction with the temperature sync function of the Comfort Furnace, you can extended the dollars you save by using a programmable thermostat.
Step 4. Keep Your Vents Unblocked And Clean
Check your vents, and if they’re grimy, use some “elbow grease” to clean them. If they are dusty, grab a vacuum to get the job done.
Another way your vents can help you save on heating oil costs is my closing them in rooms you don’t usually use. That way, you’re blocking out the cold and keeping the heat where you want it. If you live in a severely cold climate, make sure the blocked off rooms don’t get cold enough to freeze pipes!
Step 5. Get an Energy Audit
A powerful way to discover where you’re losing heating money is by performing an energy audit of your residence. A professional auditing service will use advanced equipment like infrared imaging and air-pressure systems. Or, you can do it yourself.
This brings us back to an earlier step, because to do it yourself, you’ll need to do a step-by-step inspection of your home. Search for leaks and gauge the effectiveness of you insulation. Find out how fast snow melts off your roof in comparison to the neighbors. The faster snow melts from your roof in comparison, the more insulation you could probably use.
Step 6: Use An Infrared Heater
Of course, we think this is the most important step. And speaking objectively, it is the biggest saver when it comes to heating energy costs. You can read other posts in this blog to find out reasons why, or visit the main site to read about all the benefits and advantages of owning an infrared heater.
We’re thrilled to announce the latest model in the most popular family of portable, quartz infrared heaters: The Comfort Furnace XL!
The Comfort Furnace XL Infrared Heater will make its debut on our website in the later part of August 2011. This newest model will provide you with the features and benefits that hundreds of thousands of people across the United States have come to know and count on from Comfort Furnace.
When our customers purchase a quartz infrared heater from us, they understand that they’re buying the safest portable heating solution on the market today. They also realize that it’ll be constructed with the very best materials, allowing it to stand the test of time. They’re confident that their infrared heater is friendly to the environment, and will supply cleaner air for their family to breath. When it comes to the Comfort Furnace XL, you can expect all of the above – and more!
The Comfort Furnace XL will also be offered at our one-day factory event sales staring in September 2011. We hold these events at store locations across the Upper Midwest, and you’ll find them marked at unbelievably good prices. The schedule of events will be announced on this website in early September, and will be held in the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, North and South Datoka.
Please bookmark this website or infrared heaters blog and visit us again when they are offered here online. And of course, we always look ahead to meeting our loyal customers at our one-day sales events, and to hopefully see many new faces as well!
This television commercial was first posted to YouTube in June 2010, but the message it conveys about the benefits and advantages of the Comfort Furnace Infrared Heater haven’t changed a bit. And with the addition of the Comfort Furnace XL Infrared Heater debuting this Fall (more details to come in a future post) the options have never been better!
For more information about our selection of infrared heaters, please follow the link.
Energy prices rose 2.8% month-over-month. That increase takes into account the gas we put in our cars, but also the heating oil, propane, natural gas and other heating fuels we use to keep our homes warm. However, the long term trend in energy prices is much, much worse.
