Why Pay to Heat the Great Outdoors? Keep the Heat Inside with These Tips

You pay to heat every cubic inch of air in your Middlesex or Norfolk County home during the winter – but not all of that air actually stays indoors: in fact, as much as 15 percent of that heated air could escape through air leaks in the building envelope of your home.

Want to keep all that money from flying out the windows and doors? Try these four tips to keep the warm air in and keep your bills as low as possible this winter and early spring:

1. Weatherize – A small investment in door sweeps, plastic window covers, caulk and weatherstripping can really cut down on heat-robbing drafts.
2. Use smart window treatments – Insulated cellular shades, window quilts, and other draperies could cut heat loss in their rooms by up to 10 percent, says the U.S. Department of Energy – up to 25 percent if you use Velcro or magnetic tape to attach drapes to the wall at the sides and bottom.
3. Upgrade your insulation – Most Massachusetts homes – especially older ones – are under-insulated, especially when you consider that insulation deteriorates over the years. Aim for installing insulation to meet R-Value recommended by the U.S. Department of Energy, especially in your attic and crawl spaces.
4. Cover your floors – Adding fabric to cold surface areas, such as tile or hardwood floors, can help keep heat from escaping through your floor.

Follow these tips and you will keep the warm air in and the cold air out, which will make your home more comfortable while saving some you money. Use them in combination with high efficiency oil-fired heating equipment and professional heating equipment maintenance and you will be cozy for less money for years to come.

Think it’s too late for a heating tune-up? Think again! Temps in our service area typically dip into the mid-40s well into May – which means you will be relying on your heating system for a while longer. Contact Needham Oil & Air today to schedule professional heating system service!