It’s not looking good. This time last year we had good reason to start yelling – I mean “forecasting” – that Winter would bring higher heating bills.

Okay, I’ve delivered my bad news for the day, but it will help to have an overall view of “why” this happens. At least it makes you feel less like a victim when you consider…

Prices – This Winter, tight global oil markets and elevated crude oil prices could result in higher heating oil, natural gas and propane prices.

Demand – Total U.S. natural gas demand is expected to be up this Winter over last. This is partly from colder weather in regions with large concentrations of gas-heated homes.

Supply – The severity of the Winter nationwide will be the biggest, single determining factor impacting the supply of energy. But even more unknown than the weather and how it will affect supply, is the stability of countries that export energy to the United States.

So what can you do about it?

The efficiency of your own home heating system, of course, is the factor that will help you best control increased heating fuel costs.

1. A Home Energy Survey is a great tool to help you pinpoint problems and provide energy use solutions.

2. Don’t forget to schedule your tune-up before an “elderly system” conks out on you. That’s the best way to make sure your system is running strong when the coldest days and nights hit.

3. If your heating system is an older, inefficient model, a new system can pay for itself with energy savings and no repair bills.

To find out more about saving money on your heating bills, call us or fill out the online form to schedule a free, no obligation Energy Survey.

See? There are things you can do to keep your energy dollars where they belong. And if you’d like us to review your equipment or ductwork in an Energy Survey, as a customer of ours, it’s free. Now that’s savings! Really, just call us at 614-475-1800 or schedule online and it’s done. Thanks.

5 Things You Can Do to Get Ready for Winter

It may be winter, but ther is still time to get your home ready before the cold really hits. Luckily there’s no time like the present to make sure you’re prepared before your hindsight kicks in…

1.Have your heating system cleaned and tuned. A pre-season tune-up is a good investment – it reduces the chances of breakdowns in the middle of winter, improves safety, and pays for itself through more energy efficient operation.

2.Test your system for hazardous carbon monoxide, which can be produced by a dirty or malfunctioning furnace or water heater. We can also install a low level carbon monoxide alarm.

3.Have your duct system tested for air leaks. According to recent research by the U.S. Department of Energy, the typical duct system loses 25 to 40 percent of the energy put out by the central furnace, heater or air conditioner.

4.Get your home’s air checked to find out if the air you breathe is unhealthy. Your indoor air can be much more polluted than what is outside, and with all the time spent indoors during the winter, you’ll want to ensure your family’s health, safety and comfort.

5.Consider replacing your old furnace or heat pump. Just like a car, heating equipment doesn’t last forever. If your system is more than 12 years-old, and you are planning to stay in your home more than a few years, it is wise to consider replacing it before it fails permanently. A new system is safer, more dependable, and can pay for itself through energy savings as it is up to twice as energy efficient.

The past few years have found all of us looking at rising energy costs which seem to have been multiplied by the slow economy. Whether you are thinking about ways to “go green” or you simply want to lower your monthly out of pocket energy costs, we’ve compiled some tips to help you out.

Tip 1: Lower your thermostat setting. This is the single best thing you can do to lower the cost of heating your home. Dropping the temperature just a few degrees can easily cut your heater’s operating time dramatically. You’re thinking right now, “but I don’t like to feel cold”. So here are several tips to make you feel warmer even though the house temperature is lower.

Wear more clothing. When you are at home wear sweats or sweaters. You could even consider wearing long johns under your clothing, even in doors. It makes a huge difference in how warm the home feels to you.

Wear socks and slippers. It’s very true that if your feet are cold the rest of you will feel cold.

Use an electric blanket at night.  If you are asleep from 11pm till 6am, why does the kitchen need to be warm? Turn the thermostat down so the rest of the house is cooler, saving energy, and use the blanket to keep you toasty warm as you sleep. An electric blanket uses much less energy than your home heating unit.

Place area rugs in the rooms that have hard surface floors. This not only helps to retain heat but it also helps to feel warmer as you walk so that you once again have the feeling of being warmer.

Tip 2: Check for window and door leaks and install new weather stripping where needed. Some say to hold a lit match in front of a window or door to see if drafts come in and blow the flame. We suggest using a lightweight feather instead. A very small lightweight feather will move in a slight draft just as well as a lit match, and it’s much safer. Not to mention you’ll save the cost of burning through a book of matches.

Tip 3: If you are in an older home you may want to consider replacing your windows with new energy efficient ones.

Tip 4: Go around the exterior of your home and fill in cracks with caulk. Anywhere that two different surfaces meet such as bricks to wood, need to be sealed up. If cold wind is allowed to enter these cracks it dramatically reduces the efficiency of the insulation inside your walls.

Tip 6: Insure that your attic has adequate insulation. This is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to increase the overall insulation factor of your home. Have a professional come out to measure and evaluate the insulation and give you pricing on increasing it if needed.

Tip 7: Use door sweeps at the bottom of exterior doors. Place your hand on the floor next to the bottom of all exterior doors, or use that feather we talked about before, and determine if there is a cold draft entering under the door. If so , install a door sweep to block that cold air from entering your home. There are many types and models of door sweeps on the market; many of which are very inexpensive and can be found at any local hardware store.

We cannot go without saying in any article about saving energy that the best way to save energy is to make sure you have an energy efficient furnace. If your furnace or boiler is more than 15 years old you should consider replacing it with an ENERGY STAR qualified furnace, which is 15% more efficient than a conventional furnace. If you have a boiler, consider replacing with an ENERGY STAR qualified boiler that is 5% more efficient than a new, standard model.