There are many things to enjoy and look forward to at this time of year in Wichita, but winter heating bills are not on the list. It can be quite a shock to see your energy costs shoot up when the cold weather hits. Luckily, there are many simple things you can do around your home to lower those utility bills. Follow these tips so you can use your hard-earned cash for better things, like holiday festivities or a winter vacation!

  • Get a furnace tune-up: Annual preventive maintenance keeps your heating system running safely and efficiently. Your local HVAC professional will inspect and clean your system, check the electrical connections and more. Ask your technician to replace the air filter and show you how.
  • Inspect, clean and replace dirty filters monthly. Choose the highest quality filter compatible with your furnace.
  • Get a programmable thermostat: When programmed correctly, the thermostat helps you save up to 30 percent automatically, year round, on both heating and cooling bills.
  • Ceiling fans aren’t just for summer: Run fans in reverse, on slow speed, to keep warm air circulating rather than being trapped up near your ceiling.
  • Wrap your water heater’s tank and pipes: Most of its energy use goes to keeping water hot for the next use. Add an insulating blanket to increase efficiency. Consider a tankless unit, which doesn’t store water, but heats it immediately, on demand.
  • When it’s time for furnace replacement: Consult your HVAC contractor to ensure you get the most efficient, right-sized system for your home and family needs.
  • Add window film: Save up to 20 percent on your winter heating bills by reducing heat loss through the window glass with inexpensive, easy-to-use plastic film.
  • Seal drafts with caulk or weatherstripping.
  • Avoid using your fireplace for extra heat: It will actually pull heated air out of the room when fueling the fire, then heated air escapes up the chimney. This makes your furnace work harder, just to replace the lost warm air.

Need a furnace tune-up or a new system? Contact Comfort Systems for professional advice, installation, repairs and maintenance services.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Wichita, Kansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about energy savings and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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