3 Cool Tips to Reduce Your Gas Bill in Winter Without Freezing Out Your Family
Have you ever heard that old cliche that folks like to throw around: There’s more than one way to skin a cat? Now that I think about, it’s kind of a morbid saying, really. I love cats, and I’d never ever hurt one. But I actually think about that saying pretty often, especially when it comes to finding ways to keep your heating and cooling bills in check. It’s really relevant for homeowners who have gas furnaces and live in the Sacramento area, where anyone will tell you the winters are cold and rainy.
We all like to be warm, obviously, so it’s pretty easy for a gas bill to start creeping up higher and higher during those colder months. There is, however, more than one way for how to reduce your gas bill in winter. Today I’d like to talk about three cool tips for doing just that. These measures are pretty wide-ranging, but easy enough for homeowners to start doing or investing in ASAP.
So, fire up your furnace and settle in for a nice read about everything from insulation to smart thermostats to duct inspections as answers for how to reduce your gas bill in winter without freezing out your family. I know my own parents were big fans of the just put on an extra blanket technique, but, as we noted at the very beginning here today, they also liked to teach me that there’s usually more than one way to get a job done.
How to Reduce Your Gas Bill in Winter with Efficient Insulation
The first tip for homeowners for how to reduce gas bills in winter without freezing their families is to make sure they have your home is insulated and insulated well. Now, I’ve talked about the importance of insulation in the past, about how it seals your home and makes it so the conditioned air that your HVAC system generates doesn’t pass easily through your walls, and that it also keeps the cold or warm air (depending on the season) from coming inside.
The first tip for homeowners for how to reduce gas bills in winter without freezing their families is to make sure they have your home is insulated and insulated well.
I won’t rehash all of that much more here today. What I will tell you about is the importance of using spray foam insulation to fill potential leaks in hard to reach places, especially up in your attic. Here in Sacramento, a very large number of homes have attics, and chances are those attics are insulated, because heat rises after all. If they’re not well sealed around the joints and curves of your home, though, air can still get out. That’s why I suggest having an insulation expert take a look at your home to tell you whether spray foam insulation is the answer you need to reduce your gas bill.
Install a Smart Thermostat to Lower Your Winter Gas Bill
Another great solution for the problem of how to reduce your gas bill in winter without making your family freeze their way through the season is to invest in something called a smart thermostat. Now, we’ve discussed this before, but for those who may not remember, a smart thermostat can save you money by making it so your home uses less energy and fuel. What, you may wonder, is a smart thermostat? Well, remember the old phone you had growing up? Compare that to the smartphone you have now, the one that does just about everything at the touch of a finger.
…a smart thermostat can save you money by making it so your home uses less energy and fuel.
Smart thermostats are similar to the old standard thermostats; they perform many of the same functions as a standard one. But they’re connected to the internet as well so that users can adjust their settings from other devices, like smartphones, tablets, or even watches.
Smart thermostats also typically have some more advanced features, like collecting data and analytics on when and how long your HVAC system runs. It all adds up to a thermostat that can really boost your energy efficiency. A local HVAC professional can tell you all about it.
How Duct Inspections Can Help You Reduce Your Gas Bill in Winter
Finally, another answer to how to reduce your gas bill in winter is to focus on your ducts, especially if your home is a bit older. The simple fact is that no matter what kind of precautions you take over the years, over time your ducts will start to have holes and leaks in them, making it so that the conditioned air from your HVAC system leaks out.
The right company will be able to tell you what kind of condition your ducts are in and also to start you on the path to fixing them up so that conditioned air stops leaking out before it can reach the places in your home that you need it most.
I’ve talked in the past about how long ductwork lasts and about when to know when it’s time for a duct replacement, but the most basic answer is that it tends to vary. That’s why I highly recommend calling a trained expert who can do an in-home inspection of your ducts. The right company will be able to tell you what kind of condition your ducts are in and also to start you on the path to fixing them up so that conditioned air stops leaking out before it can reach the places in your home that you need it most.
Those are just three answers to the question of how to reduce your gas bill in winter. The truth is, there are many, many more. We could probably go on quite a bit longer discussing more of them. I, however, think one simple fact has jumped out at us.
No matter what route you think you might want to go when it comes to reducing your gas bill in the winter, working with a trained insulation and ductwork expert is absolutely vital. The right company can give you all the answers you need for any one of these solutions, from whether you need spray foam insulation to whether a smart thermostat fits your needs. I know we’ve been doing it here at Bell Brothers for years, and we’d be happy to help!
At Bell Brothers, we’re more than happy to be your go-to HVAC company for any questions about how to reduce your gas bill in the winter, and we can even help you schedule maintenance checks and estimates for energy efficiency projects. Contact us today to schedule a free in-home consultation.
Wondering how to finance a new furnace, or maybe even new windows and plumbing? HERO is a unique financing option that helps California homeowners afford energy efficient upgrades to their home. Contact Bell Brothers, a HERO-approved contractor, to learn more. Our local HVAC, plumbing, and window specialists will walk you through the entire process, from applications to installation.
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