On those super chilly Colorado nights, your thermostat maybe working overtime. To make sure those utility bills stay as low as possible, here are six mistakes to avoid when heating your home (courtesy of Weather.com).
1. Don’t Turn Up a Thermostat Too High
If your home is cold, naturally you want to heat it as fast as possible. Thermostats don't work like an accelerator on a car, so cranking it up to the 80’s will do no good. It will only blister your bill!
2. Don’t Turn a Thermostat Too Low
The less your heating system has to work, the cheaper your bills. So during the overnights, your thermostat shouldn’t be set dramatically low. You’ll spend a lot of extra money to have warm mornings!
3. Don’t Overwork Your Furnace
A heater has its limits. To make your home 70 degrees, but your thermostat is at 66 degrees, you’re your furnace may have an issue. Don’t turn up the thermostat to 74 degrees, forcing the appliance to work harder. Find out what's causing the problem (heat is escaping, furnace is faulty or etc) and fix it.
4. Don’t Heat an Empty House
One of the biggest ways to waste money is heating an empty home. Invest in a programmable thermostat you can control with your phone. So if you are gone for a day, you can lower the temperature (but don’t overdo it).
5. Don’t Leave Curtains Closed on Sunny Days
Allow as much sunlight into your home as possible to naturally heat your home. So during the warmest hours of the day, open the curtains to give your furnace a break! Keeping your windows clean allows sunshine in as well.
6. Don’t Keep Windows Unlocked
In Colorado you can keep your windows open practically until our first snow fall! So forgetting to lock them at winter is understandable. As you check your windows, make sure they are sealed properly as well.