Tips for saving money on heating your home | Home & Garden

Now halfway through the official winter heating season of November through March, significantly lower natural gas prices have, thus far, helped ease winter bills for Vectren customers. However, given the bitter cold January we are now experiencing, customers should be mindful of ways to use energy wisely through free and low-cost energy efficiency tips.

Energy efficiency tips:

• Set the thermostat on 68 degrees or lower. Plus, for every 1 degree you lower the thermostat for a sustained, eight-hour period, you could see an additional 1 to 3 percent in savings.
• Open your curtains during the day to let in the sun. Using the sun’s heat can save up to 2 percent in heating costs.
• Consider installing a new furnace if your unit is more than 15 years old. The furnace is the number one appliance in consuming natural gas, and today’s models are up to 97 percent efficient. Vectren offers rebates toward the purchase of new, high-efficient units.
• Make sure heating/air vents are open and not blocked by curtains or furniture.
• Close your fireplace damper when not in use to prevent the warm air from escaping.
• Have your furnace maintained annually by a qualified technician and check your air filter regularly. Having a professional inspection of your heating system on a regular basis will help lower your heating bills 3 to 10 percent as well as maximize the life of your furnace.
• Reverse the direction of your ceiling fan. By changing the direction to clockwise in the winter, the fan will circulate the warm air.
• Caulk and weatherstrip around your doors and windows to reduce air leakage and save up to 10 percent on heating costs.
• Consider upgrading your attic and/or wall insulation to save up to 25 percent on heating and cooling costs. Vectren now offers a rebate up to $450 for these services.

“Although January has turned colder than normal, and accordingly, customers are likely using more gas to heat their homes and/or businesses, gas costs have not been this low since 2001 and have helped bills plummet more than 40 percent over the past few years,” said Doug Petitt, Vectren vice president of marketing and conservation. “However, we continue urging customers not to overlook the many energy efficiency tips that can help them reduce their usage and accordingly, yield lower bills.”

For additional energy efficiency tips and details of Vectren’s appliance and insulation rebates, visit www.vectren.com/conservation or call 1-866-240-8476.