It costs money to heat your home. And, depending on the size of your home, the number of people residing there, current fuel costs, and so on, it can cost a lot of money.

Still, there’s plenty you can do to cut those costs down to size – at least a size that’s gentler on your budget. For now, let’s look at eight common home heating mistakes and why it makes perfect sense to avoid making them.

1. Heating an empty home. If you still haven’t replaced your old thermostat with a programmable model, now’s the time. Even better, and if you’re heating your home with a single thermostat, consider dividing your home into two or more zones, each with its own thermostat. Be comfortable where you are, save money where you’re not.
2. Too much heat. Turning up your thermostat to 75 degrees won’t get you to 70, for example, any faster than setting and leaving it at your desired comfort setting. That saves energy and that saves you money without any loss of comfort.
3. Too little heat. While you don’t want to heat an empty home, you shouldn’t turn the thermostat down too low while you’re out and about. Otherwise, you force your furnace to work extra hard to raise the temperature to a comfortable level upon your return.
4. Unlocked windows. Locking your windows is not only a great safety precaution, it helps keep chilly air out. By locking them, you’ll create a tighter seal than you would by simply closing your windows.
5. Closed vents. It might seem counter-intuitive but closing vents in unused rooms only adds to your heating costs. If your system is properly sized, its job is to distribute heat evenly throughout the home. Closing vents disrupts the balance.
6. Leaving exhaust fans on for too long. While exhaust fans do a great job of removing moisture from the air, leaving them on for too long pumps warm air out of your home.
7. Leaks and drafts. Those small cracks and gaps around windows and doors are major contributors to heat loss. Seal or caulk any areas where warm air could potentially leak out.
8. Heating system maintenance. Clean or change air filters regularly and schedule an annual inspection to ensure that your system is running at max efficiency.

Has it been a year or longer since your heating system was last tuned-up and inspected? If so, contact C&D Cooling & Heating to schedule service. You’ll save money on home heating while reducing the frequency of repairs – you also help to extend equipment life.