Do your heating bills go up as soon as the temperatures go down each winter? If you feel a shiver when you open your cold-season utility bills, we have just the solutions you need.
Of course, if you’re getting ready to list your home, your Napa realtor might suggest some more extensive changes, like adding insulation or replacing old windows. But if all you want to do is keep your house warm without breaking the bank, these tips were written with your comfort in mind.
Tips From Your Napa Realtor: Affordable Ways to Keep Your Home Warm
Ready to warm up your Yountville home? Here are the best ways to do it efficiently without sacrificing comfort or your hard-earned money.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
As long as you don’t use a heat pump, a programmable thermostat is a real money-saver with heat and air conditioning. You can preset temperatures for different times of the day, keeping temps low when no one’s home and higher at other times. The thermostat learns your habits as it goes, and newer models let you operate them with a phone or tablet. Best of all, you could save between 10 and 20 percent on your utility bill.
Add Rugs to Flooring
You can lose about ten percent of your home’s heat through uninsulated flooring like hardwood and tiling. Use area rugs to help reduce heat loss and keep everyone cozy!
Change the Ceiling Fan Spin
If you have ceiling fans in rooms with high-sloped or cathedral ceilings, reversing the direction of the blades and running the fan at low speed can help bring heated air down into the room. Otherwise, most experts agree using ceiling fans while running the heat cools the room, the exact opposite of what you want.
Rearrange the Furniture
Are any chairs, tables, beds, or sofas in front of or over the vents, registers, or radiators? If your home’s heated by a forced-air system, blocking the return or supply vent can cause a pressure imbalance that disrupts heat flow throughout the house.
Install Door Sweeps
Inexpensive yet highly effective, nylon door sweeps installed along the inside bottom of drafty doors keep drafts from seeping in through the door’s cracks and bottom edge.
Lastly, gathering around the fireplace is a cozy way to spend time with the ones you love. But keep in mind that an open fireplace damper lets out the same amount of heated air as if you left open a 48-inch window! If you have a wood fireplace, reduce the number of times you use it during the winter, and be sure to keep the flue closed when you don’t have a fire going.
Explore Your Yountville Real Estate Options
Are you looking to buy or sell a home in Yountville, CA, home this winter? Talk to one of our Napa realtors today. With their intimate knowledge of the Yountville real estate market, they can help you find the perfect property or buyer more quickly. Contact Connie and Jamie today to schedule a consultation.