Helping Cedar City Homeowners Save On Heating Costs This Winter

Online, November 21, 2012 (Newswire.com) - It can get really cold in Cedar City, UT during the winter months. This can cause your home heating costs to go through the roof. However, there are things you can do within your house to help cuts costs on home heating this winter. Cedar City Heating and Air (CCHA) is dedicated to helping consumers save money on heating their homes.

Close to half of all of the energy you use in your home during the winter gets wasted. The major cause? Heating system inefficiencies. But, you can prevent this by making a few inexpensive, simple adjustments. CCHA would like to share some easy solutions with you to make your home less expensive to keep warm, while keeping you comfortable this winter.

Draft Check

Draftproofing your home is one of the simple home improvements that can help save the most energy. It's also one of the least expensive energy-efficient home improvements around. To locate air that may be coming into your home from the outside, follow this process:

· Light and incense inside your home on a breezy day.

· Walk around the home with the incense, inspecting areas near the fireplace, entry doors, the attic and garage doors, areas where wiring and plumbing go through walls, near electrical outlets and around windows.

· The seriousness of the air leak can be measured by the amount of incense smoke that horizontally drifts.

· Use exterior silicone caulk to plug up those areas. For larger leaks, use insulating foam.

· For draftproofing door leaks, install weatherstripping to your door sweeps.

· For electrical outlet drafts, use outlet safety caps to plug them up. This will help prevent drafts from entering into the home through them.

Plastic Window Kits

The best way to stop your windows from causing you to waste energy is to use double glazing. However, if you're looking for a less expensive alternative, plastic window kits are the key. These kits contain plastic film sheets. They resemble cling-film. But, they're quite a bit thicker. Here are the steps for plastic window kit installation:

· Apply double-sided tape to each of your window frames.

· Cut the plastic sheets so that they fit each window.

· Fix the plastic sheets to the double-sided tape.

· Use a regular hair dryer to dry the plastic sheets. This will cause them to shrink and become tight around the window frames.

The fitted plastic will then create air-tight gaps, preventing condensation, as well as drafts. However, if you have windows that are framed with aluminum, plastic window kits won't work for you. These frames simply don't have a gap large enough between the glass and frame for this cost-effective method to work efficiently.

Replace Your Filters

This is one of the most overlooked energy-efficient maintenance steps among both homeowners and renters. It's also one of the simplest, which can help your home stay warm this winter. Dirty air filters waste energy. When they become clogged, they stop the air flow from entering into your home. This means that your heating system must work extra hard to keep your home heated. Energystar.gov recommends replacing your heating system air filters once per month during high peak months, such as winter months. Not only does this help save you money on heating costs, it will extend the life of your heating system.

Energy-Efficient Heating System

If your system doesn't seem to be heating your home the way it used to, do a quick inspection. If you don't see the ENERGY STAR-certified sticker on your system, it's time to replace it with one that is certified. Installing and energy-efficient heating system can cut your annual energy costs by up to $200 per year. But, it must be installed properly for you to get the maximize savings possible. Proper installation can increase your system's efficiency, while increasing its life at the same time. Contact www.cedarcityheatingandair.com to get a free evaluation for cutting your winter heating costs today.

Contact Information
Cedar City Heating and Air
435-772-2665
http://www.cedarcityheatingandair.com/