Peak Season Temperatures
During the height of winter, with frigid temperatures, no one wants to be surprised by a pricey heating bill. Those days are inevitable when you’ll want to crank the heat, but that comes with the anxiety of opening your next gas/electric bill. Instead of the surprise bill or fighting over the thermostat, why not look for other solutions to have your house in optimal condition for those peak season temperatures, whether in the middle of winter or summer? Let’s be proactive in our approach to cold temperatures, so we don’t shake the budget when they do hit.
Ways To Save
Here are some ways to evaluate your home and prepare ahead of the season to help save on that heating bill.
The Thermostat
Turn down the thermostat! Whether for work or an extended vacation, times you will be out of the house are great opportunities to turn the thermostat down. In addition, try turning it down a couple of degrees when you head to bed at night. Grab an extra blanket if you need to.
Your Bedding
There is an excellent reason stores sell flannel and wool in winter – it’s warm! Don’t forget about fleece blankets too. Add those layers to stay warm and cozy.
The Ceiling Fan
Did you know that even something as simple as switching the direction of your ceiling fans to spin counterclockwise actually helps you reduce your heating costs? Turning your fan counterclockwise brings the warm air back down, which is definitely what you want in colder months.
Your Fireplace
If you enjoy building a fire in the winter, you will want to close the damper once those final embers lose their glow; that way, you won’t lose warm air through the chimney. You should also be aware that as enjoyable as a fire is, other areas of the house may wind up losing heat as the fire typically only heats the room where the fireplace is located.
Possible Air Leaks
Check all doors, windows, walls, and cracks for air coming in from the outside. These areas can easily be sealed up with weather stripping or caulking. You can find these materials at any of your local stores.
The Sunshine
On a sunny day in the middle of winter, open your curtains and blinds to let the sunshine flow into your house! This will help warm the space, and you may be thrilled not to hear your heat working for a while. Plus, seeing the sun instead of the gray days of winter will help chase away those winter blues—just a reminder to close any blinds and curtains in the evenings to keep out extra drafts.
Looking Ahead
When you receive that heating bill, winter temperatures can shake the budget, but let’s not let it be the case this year and for years to come. Be proactive before the seasons change so your bills aren’t a surprise to you – instead, maybe they’re a surprise because they’re lower than in previous years. That means you did the work and are receiving the reward. Use these tips as a checklist to walk around your home and prepare it for the upcoming season.
If you are looking for other ways to reduce spending in your budget, meet with one of our financial coaches today to learn ways to find extra dollars in your monthly budget.
Whitaker-Myers Wealth Managers is an SEC-registered investment adviser firm. The information presented is for educational purposes only and intended for a broad audience. The information does not intend to make an offer or solicitation to sell or purchase any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and are not guaranteed. Whitaker-Myers Wealth Managers reasonably believes that this marketing does not include any false or misleading statements or omissions of facts regarding services, investment, or client experience. Whitaker-Myers Wealth Managers has a reasonable belief that the content will not cause an untrue or misleading implication regarding the adviser’s services, investments, or client experiences. Please refer to the firm’s ADV Part 2A for material risks disclosures.
Past performance of specific investment advice should not be relied upon without knowledge of certain circumstances of market events, the nature and timing of the investments, and relevant constraints of the investment. Whitaker-Myers Wealth Managers has presented information in a fair and balanced manner.
Whitaker-Myers Wealth Managers is not giving tax, legal or accounting advice, consult a professional tax or legal representative if needed.