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It’s getting chilly in the Cincinnati area and you are probably filling your nights and weekends inviting friends and family over to celebrate the season. November and December bring not only many holidays—from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve—but also many guests looking for a break from the cold Ohio winter.
You might feel you need to crank up your thermostat to combat the cold and keep your home warm, but that can also lead to a huge increase for your monthly heating bills.
So how could you save money on your monthly heating bills and still keep your home heated efficiently and comfortable? While you might not be able to control the weather around the holidays, you can help your furnace and heating system run more efficiently and use some of these tricks from the experts Rick’s Heating & Cooling to ensure your home stays as warm as possible while you have people over.
Schedule an Annual Furnace Inspection
You should have your heating system inspected by a professional HVAC company each year before the heating season really kicks off—but it’s not too late if you haven’t done this already! A heating technician will be able to ensure that your furnace is ready to run effectively and efficiently to keep your home warm while you entertain.
They will also check for necessary repairs and maintenance because it’s better to fix something now rather than find your furnace has broken down in the middle of your Thanksgiving dinner.
To help save you even more money and peace of mind, furnace inspections and tune-ups can:
- Improve your unit’s energy efficiency and overall performance
- Lower your energy bills
- Require fewer costly repairs and breakdowns down the road
- Increase your unit’s lifespan
- And more
Replace Your Furnace Filters
While you should be replacing your furnace filters every few months, your filters can fill up more often during high-use periods, like November through January. If your furnaces filters are full and clogged, your furnace will have to run more to heat your home the same temperature—decreasing efficiency and increasing your heating bill.
Learn more about changing your furnace filter »
Lock Your Windows
While it might have been nice to let a crisp fall breeze through your house earlier in the season, have you checked that all of your windows were locked once the temperature dropped down? In addition to the safety and security reasons for checking this, locking your windows also helps fully seal the window panes. A tighter seal around your window keeps warm air in, cold air out, and your guests happier!
Install a Whole-House Humidifier
Furnace-warmed winter air severely decreases humidity levels and dries out the air—leading to aggravated allergies, chapped lips, dry skin, and more. When your home’s indoor air is dry, you will also feel colder, leading to you and your family turning up the thermostat a notch or two. This can be prevented with a whole-house humidifier installation. A home with the thermostat set at 68 with a whole-house humidifier can actually feel the same as a house with 73-degree dry air.
Whole-house humidifiers will also make your home more comfortable for your holiday guests, as it reduces static electricity (and those pesky shocks while putting on your winter coat). In addition, they:
- Can ease coughs, colds, flu, and hay fever
- Improve your indoor air quality
- Create moist air that is easier on your lungs, allowing asthma sufferers to breathe and sleep easier
- Keep wood floors, furniture, wallpaper, etc. hydrated and prevent cracking
- Help reduce dust particles and kill bacteria
Use Ceiling Fans
While most people think ceiling fans are just for use in the summer, you can actually use them to your advantage when hosting a holiday party. Most ceiling fans have a “reverse” setting that is meant precisely for the winter. In this setting, it pushes the warm air that rises to the ceiling back down to sitting and standing level. Don’t waste your heating energy and money on keeping the empty ceiling area a comfortable 72 degrees!
Lower the Temperature
Depending on how many guests you will be hosting for an even dinner or cookie exchange, you can also lower the temperature on your thermostat by a degree or two. If you have enough people in one space, their body heat will raise the temperature enough—you might even need to turn down the thermostat!
Call Rick’s Heating & Cooling for Emergency Furnace Repair in Cincinnati
Despite your best efforts to keep a warm house and save on energy bills, you still might find yourself with a broken down furnace or heating system. In that situation, call Rick’s Heating & Cooling for furnace repair or maintenance in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. We have been serving the area since 1986 and offer 24-hour emergency furnace repair service seven days a week.
If your furnace breaks down during one of your many holiday get-togethers, don’t hesitate to contact us for quality service in your home.
