Don’t Let Heating Bills Drain Your Wallet

Christmas can be a huge hit on the wallet and after spending all that money on gifts and entertaining, we find ourselves facing the high costs of heating our homes. December, January and February always rack up big heat bills but if your heating costs are more than you think they should be, there are a few things you may want to take a look at.Insulation- Insulation such as caulk and weather stripping can deteriorate over time which can account for drafts and heat loss. Inspect the following areas in your home to make sure they are properly insulated.
* gaps around your pipes that go through the walls
* weather stripping around all of your outside doors and windows
* attic door
* around and behind your electrical outlets
* A/C vents and storm windows
* make sure your fireplace damper is closed
Dont Forget Your Air Ducts- Leaky air ducts are a big reason for high heating bills. When your ducts are leaky, heated air won’t reach the area you are trying to heat properly. This means that your heating system will have to keep running, pumping air into the voids around the ducts.
Poorly Functioning Equipment-If you have poorly maintained or failing equipment, your heating bills can double or even triple. Some of the more common equipment issues are below:
* faulty thermostat
* heat pump stuck in defrost mode or set to emergency heat
* poor flame adjustment on the furnace
* failed heat pump condenser
* wrong size heating unit for the space
In addition to the above issues, any failed components can impair your systems heating efficiency. This is why preventative maintenance is so important for keepiing your heating bills low. Finally, remember that is is always important to make sure you change your air filters regulary as a dirty air filter will restrict air flow which will not only lead to higher bills but also overwork your equipment.
If you are experiencing abnormally high utility bills and don’t know why, give MTB Heating and Air a call. We will send an experience technician to find out what the problem is with your system and get it running efficiently.