As we prepare for colder temperatures, your BBB offers advice on how to keep the cost of heating your home affordable over the winter months.
“Heating your home throughout the New England winter can become costly if you aren’t careful,” said Paula Fleming, vice president of communications and marketing for BBB. “Following these few steps can go a long way in heating your home affordably, saving money better spent elsewhere this season.”
Many utility companies offer efficiency programs; be sure to check with yours to find out what services they provide. Programs like these will pay for programmable thermostats, which can help control heat usage when no one is home, and some companies will even subsidize roof insulation. Always check out businesses and obtain a BBB Business Review before purchasing from them.
Below are some tips to lower the cost of heating your home this winter:
Maintenance• Change your furnace filter monthly and have your furnace cleaned annually.
• Make sure your home is properly insulated.
• Weather strip doors and windows.
Heating• Install a programmable thermostat so you can lower the heat when no one is home and at night while everyone is sleeping.
• Turn back thermostats in areas of your house you don’t use regularly, and close the doors.
• Keep baseboard heaters and radiators clean and make sure your furniture and curtains are not blocking the vents.
Energy Savers• Minimize your use of bathroom or kitchen hood ventilation fans.
• Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket to prevent heat loss.
• Wash only full loads of clothes or dishes at a time and use cold water.
• Take shorter showers.
• Open curtains on the sunny side of your home to let the sun in and close curtains on the shady side.
Many home owners are now choosing alternative fuels such as firewood to heat their homes. Massachusetts state law requires that except for packaged firewood and whole logs, sellers of firewood are required to sell firewood in terms only of cubic feet. A “cord” of firewood equals 128 cubic feet when closely stacked. BBB recommends checking with different vendors before buying firewood to be sure you are getting the best possible price.
If you plan on using firewood to heat your home this season, use these few simple tips to be sure you get the most for your money:
• Buy fully seasoned firewood or split your wood at least six months before use. Keep wood off the ground and covered with plastic, allowing air to circulate freely.
• Request the right type of wood. Hardwoods, such as maple, oak, and cherry burn longer and cleaner than softwoods, like pine, aspen, and poplar. Soft woods tend to create more creosote in the chimney; if you do not eliminate the creosote regularly, it can become a fire hazard.
• Get a receipt. If the firewood is sold and delivered to your house, the seller of the firewood is required to provide a receipt including the seller’s contact information, sale date, type and quantity of wood purchased, and the purchase price.
• Stack the wood and measure it before using any. Determine the quantity by multiplying the length, width, and height. You will be able to calculate the total volume of the firewood stacks and compare that to what was represented to you on the invoice issued by the firewood seller.