During the cold, winter months your electric bill can quickly soar out of control as you try to heat your apartment. This is why it’s so important for you to find ways to cut down and save on your apartment’s heating costs. You don’t have to layer on clothes or blankets to stay warm this winter. You can even lower your thermostat by a few degrees. This is because, you can save money on heating your apartment without spending much money to do so.
Adding Insulation to Your Apartment Helps
Some apartments look charming and inexpensive throughout the summer, but then during the winter, you discover that they’re cold and drafty. This is due to the fact that there are drafts entering your apartment through windows, doors, and electrical outlets. When you want to save money on heating your apartment there are some easy, inexpensive ways of fixing these issues, including:
- Most apartments have single-pane windows that let in a lot of cold air. Window insulation film is an inexpensive way of stopping this from happening. Indirectly, it will cut down on your gas and electric bill, because you don’t need to turn the heat up. As you install window film, also check for loose, worn, or otherwise distorted weather-stripping around the window’s frame and sash.
- Weather stripping seals off any openings in your apartment’s doors and windows, so the outside air doesn’t enter your apartment and the inside air doesn’t escape. This interchange of air will cause your gas and electric bills to rise. By simply installing some weather-stripping you’ll save money on heating your apartment in the winter and cooling it in the summer.
- Look at the bottom of your apartment’s front door. Notoriously, this is a popular source for drafts. If you find one there, buy a door sweep or a draft snake. They will help you save money on heating your apartment.
- Another popular source for drafts in your apartment is your wall outlets. Most hardware stores sell electrical outlet sealers. These are fairly easy to install and they will stop outdoor air from entering your apartment. When you don’t have to deal with this issue you’ll cut down on your electricity bill.
Adding Warmth Without Adding to Your Electric Bill
After you check out all of your apartment’s entry points, you’ll want to move on to add some warmth to your apartment. Here are some ways of doing so, and yet, you can still cut down on your electric bill at the same time:
- Many people are surprised to learn that you can save money on heating your apartment by using an electric heater, but you’ll need to turn down your heat by at least 5°F. Space heaters work best in closed off areas of your apartments, since these rooms hold the air in. Make sure you measure the size of your room before buying a space heater, because rooms under 100 sq. ft. only need 1,000 watts, while larger rooms obviously have larger requirements. Additionally, you want to make sure you follow safety tips when using one, like not placing it near anything flammable and plugging it directly into the wall, not into an extension cord.
- Buying a programmable thermostat will also cut down on your heating costs. Make sure you reduce the heat in your apartment when you’re at work or asleep. By reducing the heat in your apartment between 10 – 15 degrees during these hours will cut down on your electric bill by 10%.
- Towel warmers are relatively inexpensive (about $50) and not only give you a warm towel to enjoy, but they also act as a small space heater. Once installed, you can drastically turn down the heat in your bathroom and cut down on your heating costs.
- Quilted or thick curtains are another great way of dealing with drafty windows, so you can save money on heating your apartment. These work well, because they have a thermal lining in them that helps keep your apartment warm.
- One area that a lot of people overlook when you want to cut down on your heating costs is your ceiling fan. In the winter you want to reverse the motor by flipping the toggle switch. This makes it rotate in a clockwise direction, creating a gentle updraft that forces warm air into occupied spaces. Running it will circulate your apartment’s warm air and cut down on your electricity bill.
Taking these steps will help you cut down on your heating costs. If you’re like most people today, you’ll be happy to reduce your electric bill. So, take some time to put these things into action. Even just a few of them will help you save money on heating your apartment.
