Hacks for Cranking the Heat While Conserving Energy This Winter

When winter comes, and we start relying on our home furnaces to keep us warm during those Minnesota winters, one thing is unavoidable; we’ll pay for that energy usage in monthly bills.

Everyone wants to find ways to keep those bills down while still staying warm and we’ve got a few hacks you can use at home to help keep that energy usage under control.

Put Insulation on Windows

Windows are often a point of vulnerability for heat leakage in a home. One way to quickly address this problem is with brand new windows using the latest materials for the frame, multiple layers of glass, and even a layer of gas.

Of course, this is the expensive solution, so while it certainly gets the job done, and can even add to the value of a property, not everyone wants to pay for this.

A low-cost alternative that can still lower your energy bills is to buy window insulation film and apply to all the windows in your home. This is cheap and can be found at any hardware store.

Just apply it to the window, then tighten it with hot air from a hairdryer, and it creates a layer of air that now acts as a cushion. Rather than your warm house air making direct contact with the glass and radiating out, it stays in your home.

Use Caulk on Window Frames

In the same way that an old window is a weak spot for leaking heat, old window frames can also be problematic. Wood frames, in particular, can make for some issues if they haven’t been regularly inspected and kept in good condition.

Unlike vinyl, wood can be rotted or tunneled by insects like ants and termites can chip or breakthrough constant exposure to the elements throughout the year.

However, just buying some quality outdoor caulk and closely examining your frames can address these problems. Where you find breaks and cracks, seal it up with the caulk. This is definitely one of those situations where a little here and there adds up to some significant savings on your monthly bills.

Try Using Your Ceiling Fan

For many homeowners, this is likely to come off as a counter-intuitive surprise but people with ceiling fans installed in their homes can use them during the summer and the winter. You may have even stopped using your fans if you got a central HVAC system installed, but in the winter, it can keep your energy bills a little lower!

In the summer, it is the wind chill effect that keeps people cool. A fan turned to high speed and rotating counter-clockwise rapidly pushes air downwards and people experience this as a pleasant, cooling breeze.

In the winter, you just need to reverse this process. Put your fan on low speed and rotate it the other way, clockwise. Now, the air is pulled up and slowly circulated throughout the room, rather than just sitting still near windows and leaking out into the cold.

Winters in the Anoka, MN can get pretty harsh, and it usually means a spike in heating bills. But these low-cost hacks for the home can help you to keep those bills from running away from you.