News

Oct 21, 2023

How to stay warm, still cut heating costs in your home this winter

A wood-burning fireplace insert can serve as an auxiliary source of heat. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With weeks of rain, a smattering of snow and a drop in temperatures, the “heating season” is well underway

A wood-burning fireplace insert can serve as an auxiliary source of heat.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With weeks of rain, a smattering of snow and a drop in temperatures, the “heating season” is well underway in Northeast Ohio. And whether you are keeping your home warm with gas, electricity, oil, propane or wood, the bills are already on the way.

How to spend less without your family budget experiencing “the big chill” is the question.

A quick review of utility and government websites reveals that the one strategy guaranteed to save you the most money will involve a bit of personal determination: Adjust the thermostat, wear socks and shoes in the house and rediscover sweaters.

Dominion Energy Ohio advises that a consumer who sets the home thermostat at 68 degrees during the day and 58 degrees at night or when not home for several hours can save “10 to 15 percent of annual heating costs.”

Columbia Gas of Ohio advises that customers can cut gas consumption by 8 to 10 percent simply by lowering the thermostat to 55 degrees when not at home.

And FirstEnergy reminds that “each degree lower has the potential to save about 2 percent on your heating bill.”

The three utilities also recommend digital or programable thermostats.

If lowering the thermostat is not possible in your home because of infants or elderly family members, a smart consumer can fall back on a number of inexpensive, old-tech strategies to use less fuel and stay warm by keeping cold air out and warm air in. Here are some of them:

One more strategy, this one more expensive but less costly in the long run, is to schedule an annual furnace inspection and tune-up before the start of winter. This is critical for today’s high-efficiency heating equipment that incorporates a lot of electronic controls.

Taking a longer view, adding storm windows if not already on your home, installing new, high efficiency windows and doors and new heating and air conditioning are projects that can be done over a number of years and at a considerable cost.

But the place to start before even considering these kinds of expensive projects is with a home-energy audit.

Ohio’s major public utilities, whether gas or electric, now offer home energy audits through outside contractors. The inexpensive audits, which all consumers are already paying for through a slight increase in rates, are lengthy and designed to find air leaks as well as direct energy leaks where insulation has failed or is missing.

Dominion earlier this fall announced the cost of an home energy audit had been reduced to $50. Details are available on the company website (deoenergysavers.com). Columbia is also offering a $50, four-hour comprehensive audit or a $20 two-hour energy assessment. Details and scheduling are available under “Ways to Save” on the company’s website (columbiagasohio.com).

FirstEnergy last April announced a $100 comprehensive home energy audit that includes the installation of LED light bulbs, smart power strips, faucet aerators and shower heads, meaning there is no out-of-pocket cost today. The company said customers could schedule an audit on line (www.energysaveOhio-homeaudit.com) or by phone (855-314-9962).

Two steps you can take even before calling for an audit is to immediately take a look at the attic and once winter snows arrive, step outside and look at your roof.

If the snow doesn’t seem to accumulate on your roof, or disappears after a short time, you’re losing heat from the house. If ice jams build up at the roof’s edge and create long ice cycles, you’re losing heat.

From inside the attic, if you can see the ceiling joists, you don’t have enough insulation.

Be on the lookout for these home-heating dangers this winter

Winter home heating can be a killer. More people die from "The Silent Killer" carbon monoxide during the winter than at any other time of the year, according to federal data. And house fires snuff out the lives of well over 3,000 Americans annually.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.