Tips for Staying Warm While Saving Money This Winter
By: Kyle Leyenberger, KNWA-TV, Fayetteville
Updated: December 11, 2012
Furnaces are back on after this week's temperature drop, and heating your home can get costly.
That's why Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) is offering some simple tips to help cut down on your home heating bill.
SWEPCO Spokesman Peter Main wants customers to check weather stripping around doors and caulking on windows, as well as for leaky duct work.
"Make sure that you're looking for places where the warm air is leaking out of your house or cold air is coming in," he says.
The power company suggests setting your thermostat at 68 degrees. Any higher than that, and Main says you're wasting money.
"Maybe wear an extra layer of clothes, but you're spending more money if you're above 68," he says. "If you're going to be away from the house for a day or so, drop it about 5 degrees, you're going to save money while you're gone. You don't need to leave it at that level while you're gone."
Tim Paetz of Bud Anderson Heating and Cooling says paying for a check up once a year will save money in the long run.
"You're always going to want somebody to come in and do a tune up," he says. "A lot of people don't have yearly maintenance done. They can catch a lot of things there that's going to improve your efficiency. It's going to save your gas or electric."
Paetz just pulled a filter from a customers home that was installed in 2009. He says a filthy filter kills efficiency, and they should be checked once a month.
"You have to pull in the cold air to heat it, so you want to make sure it doesn't look like this," he says, holding the dusty grey filter. "It should look more clean."
Both companies want customers to limit the use of kitchen and bathroom fans too.
"The longer those things run the more warm air they're pulling out of the house," Main says.
"You don't want to make the heat and pull it right back out again," Paetz says.
Click here for more energy saving tips on SWEPCO's website.
Click here to watch this report.
That's why Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) is offering some simple tips to help cut down on your home heating bill.
SWEPCO Spokesman Peter Main wants customers to check weather stripping around doors and caulking on windows, as well as for leaky duct work.
"Make sure that you're looking for places where the warm air is leaking out of your house or cold air is coming in," he says.
The power company suggests setting your thermostat at 68 degrees. Any higher than that, and Main says you're wasting money.
"Maybe wear an extra layer of clothes, but you're spending more money if you're above 68," he says. "If you're going to be away from the house for a day or so, drop it about 5 degrees, you're going to save money while you're gone. You don't need to leave it at that level while you're gone."
Tim Paetz of Bud Anderson Heating and Cooling says paying for a check up once a year will save money in the long run.
"You're always going to want somebody to come in and do a tune up," he says. "A lot of people don't have yearly maintenance done. They can catch a lot of things there that's going to improve your efficiency. It's going to save your gas or electric."
Paetz just pulled a filter from a customers home that was installed in 2009. He says a filthy filter kills efficiency, and they should be checked once a month.
"You have to pull in the cold air to heat it, so you want to make sure it doesn't look like this," he says, holding the dusty grey filter. "It should look more clean."
Both companies want customers to limit the use of kitchen and bathroom fans too.
"The longer those things run the more warm air they're pulling out of the house," Main says.
"You don't want to make the heat and pull it right back out again," Paetz says.
Click here for more energy saving tips on SWEPCO's website.
Click here to watch this report.
