As much of the United States endured severe cold temperatures from a recent arctic blast, U.S. News & World Report highlighted some of the things homeowners can do to reduce their heating costs.
For example, if you have any rooms in your home that are rarely used, seal them off. Turn off all vents in those rooms, close the door and block the air flow under the door with towels or a blanket. The temperature in that room will drop significantly, which is a good thing. It means that you haven’t spent money heating up that room you don’t use.
You can also open curtains when sunlight hits them, and close them otherwise. When direct sunlight hits a window, there will be a slight warming effect even on a very cold day. So, on sunny days, open the blinds on the east side of your home in the morning and on the west side in the evening.
If you have ceiling fans, set them to run in a clockwise direction. People often associate ceiling fan use with keeping cool in the summer, but it can actually help keep you warm in the winter by circulating the warm air that rises to the top of the room.
