Mainers, Watch Your Heating Bills Go Down With These 8 Easy Hacks

At this point, it’s likely that you have thrown in the towel and turned the heat on in Maine.

Energy costs are still on the high side, and lots of people are looking for ways to save on their energy bills.

However, there are several things that can be done to see your monthly bill stay within a more affordable range in the Pine Tree State.

1. Make sure your windows are insulated

This might be the most important thing you can do.

According to the Department of Energy, heat loss through windows accounts for about 25-30% of heating energy use.

It’s the time of the year to check your windows to make sure that they are properly insulated. The easiest way to do this is to hover your hand an inch or so over the window (the area near the window sill is usually the best) and check to see if you feel a cool draft coming in. If so, there is science right there letting you know that the cold air from outside is coming into your home.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you need new windows, just some simple weather stripping may do the trick.

This goes for doors as well, although it may be tough to apply weather stripping on doors that are in use.

2. Clean your furnace

A good rule of thumb has always been to have your furnace serviced by a professional once per year. There is a cost involved in this, but if there is something wrong internally, you may not even know and it could be making the furnace work harder than it needs to.

It’s also a good idea to check your filter to make sure it’s clean.

3. Water heater efficiency

According to the Department of Energy, water heating is the second largest utility cost running at approximately $400-$600 per year.

Investing in the right water heater can play a big part. Also, a smart controller can save you a substantial amount of money and some of them start as low as $24.

Have you noticed your water heater turning on every time you use hot water? This will control the temperature of the water and your heater will only turn on when you need it.

4. Open and close your blinds accordingly

This one is quite simple and won’t cost you a dime, granted you already have blinds on your windows.

Keeping your blinds open during the day will allow sunlight to enter your home, that is free heat right there. Keeping them closed at night will act as insulation and help to keep the warm air inside.

5. Close your fireplace

Imagine if there was a hole in your ceiling in the middle of the winter, well leaving your damper open in your fireplace is similar.

This one is a big “out of sight, out of mind” issue that energy users often overlook.

This will help to block the cold outside air from coming in but if you have glass doors on your fireplace, it’s advised to close those as well as that will act as an added element of insulation.

6. Check your attic insulation

It’s likely you haven’t been up there in awhile. It might be a good time to pull yourself up to see what’s going on.

Although various sources report different numbers, it seems to be agreed on that at least 9 inches of fiberglass insulation should be in place to keep your home properly insulated.

7. Turn on those ceiling fans

Ceiling fans are typically associated with keeping you cool during the warmer months; however using them in the colder months will essentially push the warm air near the ceiling back into the room, just make sure it’s running clockwise otherwise the reverse effect will come into play.

8. Turn down your thermostat

Yeah, I get it, you were probably looking for alternatives so you don’t have to do this.

If you’re one that likes it nice and toasty, this one might not apply to you but keeping your home at a comfortable 68 degrees can save you substantial heating costs.