Simple Ways to Lower Your Heating Bill This Winter in Mid Missouri

The first really cold bill of the season always stings. One month you're barely running the heat, and the next you're staring at an electric or propane bill that looks like a car payment.

Some of that is just winter in Mid Missouri. Heating a house when it's 20 degrees outside takes energy. But in most of the homes we visit around Osage Beach, Jefferson City and the rest of the lake area, there's money being wasted that doesn't need to be. Here are the changes that actually move the needle, starting with the free ones.

Get Smart With the Thermostat

Your thermostat is the biggest lever you control every day.

With a gas, propane or electric furnace, turning the temperature down several degrees while you sleep or while you're gone for the day saves fuel. The house loses heat more slowly when it's cooler inside, so the furnace runs less. A programmable or smart thermostat makes this automatic, so you don't wake up to a cold kitchen.

Heat pumps are a different story. If you drop a heat pump way down overnight and then bump it back up in the morning, the system may decide it can't catch up fast enough on its own and turn on the backup electric heat strips. Those strips are expensive to run. Heat pump owners usually save more by keeping the setting fairly steady, or by using small setbacks of a couple degrees. A smart thermostat that's set up for a heat pump can handle recovery without calling on the strips.

A few more thermostat tips:

• Leave the fan on "auto" instead of "on." Running the blower constantly can push cooler air through the vents and add to your electric use.
• Don't crank the setting way up to warm the house faster. It doesn't heat any quicker, it just overshoots.

Change the Filter More Often Than You Think

A dirty filter makes your system work harder to move the same amount of air. That means longer run times, more fuel and more wear. In homes with pets, smokers, ongoing projects or dusty gravel roads nearby, filters can clog in a month.

Pull yours out and hold it up to a light. If you can't see light through it, it's time. Keep a few spares on hand so you're not tempted to stretch it.

Stop the Drafts

Warm air leaking out of the house means cold air sneaking in somewhere else, and your heating system has to make up the difference. Older homes around the lake are especially prone to this.

Easy places to check:

• Exterior doors. If you can see daylight under the door or feel a breeze, add weatherstripping or a new door sweep.
• Windows. Caulk gaps around the trim. Heavy curtains help at night.
• Attic hatch or pull down stairs. These are often just a loose panel with no seal or insulation on top.
• Outlets and switches on exterior walls. Inexpensive foam gaskets behind the cover plates block a surprising amount of air.
• Plumbing and wiring holes under sinks and in the basement or crawlspace.

A fireplace damper left open is one of the biggest heat leaks in any house. If you're not using the fireplace, close it.

Use the Sun and Your Ceiling Fans

On sunny winter days, open the blinds on south and west facing windows and let the sun do some of the work. Close them once the sun goes down to hold the heat in.

Most ceiling fans have a small switch on the motor housing that reverses the direction. In winter, set it to spin clockwise on a low speed. That gently pushes warm air that collects near the ceiling back down into the room, which is especially helpful in homes with vaulted ceilings or open great rooms that look out over the lake.

Keep Your Equipment Tuned

A furnace or heat pump that's out of adjustment can burn noticeably more energy without you ever noticing anything is wrong. The heat still comes on. It just costs more to get there.

During a tune up, a technician cleans and adjusts the burners, checks the flame sensor and ignition, tests the blower, and looks for worn parts. On heat pumps, they check refrigerant levels and the defrost cycle, which both affect efficiency. Regular HVAC maintenance keeps the system running the way it was designed to and catches small problems before they turn into cold nights.

If you'd rather not keep track of it, our Priority Club membership includes a fall heating tune up and a spring AC tune up, plus front of the line service when you need a repair.

Look at the Ductwork

If some rooms are always cold while others are toasty, or if you have ducts running through an unheated crawlspace, attic or garage, you could be losing a good chunk of your heat before it ever reaches a vent. Disconnected joints, crushed sections and gaps around the boots are common in older homes and in houses that have been added onto.

Exposed ducts in a basement are easy to check for obvious gaps. For ducts in tight spaces, have a professional take a look.

Think About Your Fuel and Equipment

Sometimes the bill is high because the equipment is old, oversized, undersized or simply a poor fit for the house. A furnace from decades ago runs far less efficiently than today's equipment. An older heat pump may rely heavily on its backup heat strips once temperatures drop.

A ductless mini split can be a very efficient way to heat a single area that's hard to keep warm, like a sunroom, garage apartment or bonus room. If you're curious how they compare, our post on what a mini split costs to run walks through the basics.

Not sure where your money is going? Our quick heating bill quiz can help point you toward the most likely causes in your home.

Lake Homes and Rentals

For second homes that sit empty part of the winter, set the heat around 55 degrees instead of keeping it at your normal living temperature. That protects your pipes without heating an empty house to 70. A smart thermostat lets you warm the place up a few hours before you arrive.

For more on getting your home ready for the cold, including safety, empty lake homes and when to call for help, check out our Lake of the Ozarks winter heating guide.

If your bills seem way out of line, or your system just doesn't keep up the way it used to, call 24 Hour Heating and Cooling at (573) 693-8863. A real person answers 24/7. You can also contact us online to schedule a visit.