Winter 2020/21 has been mild so far, but we all know how quickly that can change. When temperatures eventually do drop, your bills will rise as your furnace or boiler fends off plummeting temperatures.

The good news is that there are ways to take at least some of the load off your heating system so it doesn’t have to work quite as hard to keep your family safe and comfortable. Here are five ways to do that and keep your energy bills as low as possible in the coming months.

1. Weatherize – Drafts around windows and doors and between conditioned and unconditioned spaces in your home can cost you comfort and money. To dodge those drafts, try inexpensive measures like window plastic, caulking, weather stripping, and doorsweeps (under exterior doors and between conditioned and unconditioned spaces).
2. Boost your insulation – Most homes – especially older ones – are not insulated to proper R-values. To learn more about where, how, and how much to insulate your home, check out these recommendations from the U.S. Department of Energy.
3. Stay on top of air filter changes – A blocked air filter causes your heating system to overwork, which raises your energy bills and cause unnecessary wear and tear on your heating equipment. Check your filters regularly during heating season – once a month or so, especially if you have pets that shed.
4. Program your thermostat – A programmable or smart thermostat can reduce heating costs by 10 percent or more by dropping temperatures automatically when no one is home – or when you’re asleep and won’t notice the difference.
5. Maintain your equipment – A heating system loses an average of about five percent efficiency every year it doesn’t receive care from a heating expert – which means a tune-up will basically pay for itself by the efficiency it maintains alone. Routine care also prevents long-term equipment wear and tear and can even keep your warranty in place. The bottom line: professional preventive care is a must for your oil-fired heating equipment – if you haven’t had it this year, schedule service before the real winter weather hits.

Want another way to save money this winter? Switch to Q-Dog for propane and heating oil deliveries in southern Maryland. You’ll get the same top-quality fuel as you’ll get anywhere else in our service area without paying the big-buck prices our competitors charge. Contact us today to become an Q-Dog customer and experience the difference for yourself!