How To Combat Heating Oil Prices In 6 Steps

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.