Tips to Save on Heating Bills this Winter in Nanaimo
With our beautiful British Columbia buried in snow and the coldest months yet to come, many BC residents are beginning to ask how to save money on heating costs in our crazy economy. For more than 45 years, Norm’s Mobile Service Ltd. has been a family owned and operated business serving Nanaimo’s gas fitting, heating, air conditioning and plumbing needs. During that time we’ve picked up a few hints and tips along the way that can help you, our neighbor, control your heating bill.
While numerous options exist, some are easy, some require a substantial investment. So whether you need one or two easy changes or a significant retrofit of your home, here are a few suggestions to get your savings started.
The simplest and most direct way to save on heating costs is to wear a sweater and stay active. During the day, you can also keep blinds and curtains open on sun-facing windows to take advantage of its natural warming abilities.
However, to begin to see financial savings start by turning down your thermostat one degree (and leaving it there) to notice a difference in your bills. You can save further using a space heater in the one area of the home where you are and turn the thermostat down for the rest of the house. If you turn your thermostat down during sleeping hours, an electric blanket can pre-warm your sheets and keep you warm till dream time.
Next, do some maintenance around your home. Start by sealing drafts – find the drafts, and repair them by replacing weather stripping or using spray foam insulation. Annual furnace cleaning and instrument adjustments can make a real difference in your furnace efficiency – and annual operating cost – and a tune-up is the best way to catch small problems before they turn into big expensive ones.
Once you’ve taken care of all the little steps to improve your home’s heating efficiency, it’s time to look at investing for the long term. Once you’ve done all your home maintenance, or even before you start, a home energy audit professional can search for every air leak and source of energy inefficiency using state-of-the-art technology that produces a detailed report of the steps you can take to maximize your household energy efficiency.
Replace or upgrade are popular terms for this phase because it involves upgrading your attic insulation and replacing outdated and inefficient windows and doors to defend against heat loss. Finally, if your furnace is 10 years old or older, planned replacement is likely to be the way to achieve the biggest gains in your home heating energy efficiency.
At Norm’s Mobile Service Ltd. our team of certified, licensed journeymen can offer the same-day response to both commercial and residential customers at competitive rates. As an eco-friendly company, we believe in doing our part to help you make a smaller impact on the environment – and save money. Take advantage of our FortisBC™ $800 rebate when you upgrade to a high-efficiency gas furnace. At Norm’s Mobile Service Ltd. we are a bonded company that carries pollution liability insurance, and all our work is guaranteed. Contact Norm’s Mobile Service Ltd. at 250-753-3641 today to get started with your in-home consultation on our services.