Quick Low-Cost Ways To Reduce Your Greater Philadelphia Home’s Heating Costs This Winter

It seems that every year we hear how the cost to heat our home is on the rise, and this year is no different according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.  The U.S. retail price of electricity is projected to increase by 12.6 cents per kilowatt hour, and natural gas is projected to remain flat.

With winter on the way, here are a few quick, low-cost ways to help reduce the heating costs of your Greater Philadelphia home.

1. If your home has a ceiling fan, reverse the direction so that it operates clockwise at a low speed so that the fan’s blades will create an updraft helping your home’s hot air to rise.
2. Inspect the caulk around your home’s doors and windows and replace any cracked caulk so that no cold air is able to leak in.
3. With warm air rising you do not want it to escape your home through your fireplace. Avoid this by sealing your chimney’s flue with a stopper to avoid heat loss if you will not be using your fireplace. If you do plan on using your fireplace this winter, keep the damper closed when not in use to keep warm air in.
4. To help decrease your heating bills, lower the temperature of your home’s hot water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit instead of the 140 degrees Fahrenheit setting.
5. Install a smart thermostat such as the Nest Learning Thermostat that will adjust to your home’s energy usage to help save on your heating bill.

If you are looking to buy or sell your eastern Pennsylvania or New Jersey home this fall, The Silva Group would be delighted to help.  Contact us at any time or feel free to call us directly at (267) 202-4955.

The Silva Group is comprised of Philadelphia and New Jersey’s best and brightest in the real estate industry. Our team is more than a bunch of real estate agents packed into an office – we are friends and family members who all have one passion – to provide the very best real estate experience possible to our clients.