Slash the Heating Bill in Your Fort Pierce, Fla. Area Home This Winter

Here in South Florida, we don’t have to think about heating costs quite as much as our friends up north. In fact, we hardly think about them at all. However, despite our pleasant climate, heating is still necessary on occasion (and especially this past January), and heating your home can cost a meaningful amount if you aren’t doing it efficiently. Fortunately, you don’t have to just accept your heating bill. There are many ways to cut your energy use and save money through increased efficiency. The bonus for Floridians is that most of these steps will reduce your cooling bill as well.

One important step for reducing your heating bill is to learn where you’re wasting energy. An energy evaluation is a great investment for those who might not know where to start in the process of making their homes more efficient. An inspector will visit your home and take a look around, and may use some special tools to figure out where you are losing heat (or gaining it during the much longer cooling season). After your evaluation, the inspector can tell you what needs to be fixed, and give advice on how to correct problems and lessen waste.

Whether you pursue an energy evaluation or not, there’s a chance that your home will need some improvements. There are a lot of small projects that you can do to make your home more efficient. Seal any gaps that may be letting drafts in around your doors, electrical outlets, baseboards and windows. Caulk, spray foam or weatherstripping material can be used. In addition, make sure your house in well insulated. Sufficient insulation in walls is important, but also make sure your attic is properly insulated, as well as your crawlspace.

Though an evaluation and a few sealing or insulation projects may seem like a lot of work for a short winter, as stated above, remember that any efficiency improvements and upgrades you make will also lower your cooling bills once spring arrives. Another improvement that will help lower your heating bill, and make your home more efficient year-round, is a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat can give you control over your home’s temperature even when you aren’t home or awake, and can save your HVAC system a lot of work.

Please contact us at NisAir Air Conditioning & Heating for more expert information about lowering both your heating bills and your cooling bills. The latter isn’t too far away.