Quick Answer: A few small changes can make a real dent in your heating bill. Start by setting your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees while you sleep or are away. From there, keep warm air inside by sealing drafty doors and windows, reversing your ceiling fan to push heat down, changing the furnace filter monthly, and lowering your water heater to 120°F. For savings that last, look into added insulation, air sealing, and covering your basement window wells to keep cold and moisture out.
Heating is the single biggest energy expense in most homes, and the bill climbs fast once the cold weather sets in. The good news is that you do not have to choose between staying warm and saving money. Most of the waste in a typical house comes from heat slipping out through gaps, settings that run higher than they need to, and equipment that has to work harder than it should. Here are 10 ways to cut your heating costs this winter, along with a few small changes that pay off year after year:
1. Lower the Thermostat a Few Degrees
This is the simplest place to start. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save as much as 10% a year on heating by turning your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees for eight hours a day from its normal setting, such as while you sleep or while everyone is at work or school.
The trick is to time the setback for when you will not notice it. At night, an extra blanket makes up for the cooler air, and during the day, the lower setting costs you nothing in comfort if no one is home. Even a single degree adds up over a full season.
2. Upgrade to a Programmable or Smart Thermostat
If remembering to adjust the dial is the hard part, let the thermostat do it for you. A programmable thermostat lets you set a schedule so the temperature drops automatically at night and during the day, then warms the house back up before you wake or come home.
A smart thermostat goes a step further, learning your routine and letting you make changes from your phone. Both handle the setback for you, so the savings happen every day instead of only on the days you remember to turn the dial down.
3. Stop Heat From Escaping at Doors
Warm air leaks out wherever there is a gap. Doors are a common offender, especially older ones with worn seals.
A few low-cost fixes make a real difference:
- Door sweep: attaches to the bottom of the door and blocks the gap at the floor
- Draft stopper: a weighted fabric tube, sometimes called a door snake, that you set against the base of the door
- Weather stripping: seals the gaps along the sides and top of the door frame
These take minutes to install and pay for themselves quickly during the colder months.
4. Seal Drafty Windows
Windows are another major source of heat loss. A drafty window lets warm air out and pulls cold air in, so the heating system has to run longer to keep up.
| Fix | Best For | Effort |
| Weather stripping | Gaps around the sash | Low |
| Caulk | Cracks in the frame and trim | Low |
| Window film / insulation kit | Single-pane and old windows | Low |
| Replacement windows | Failed or rotted windows | High |
Sealing and weather stripping handle most everyday drafts. Check both inside and outside your home. Replacing a failed window costs more up front but keeps saving on heating bills for winters to come.
If caulk and weatherstripping do not completely solve the problem, inexpensive window insulation shrink film kits are nearly invisible, easy to install with double-stick tape, and can be shrunk with a hair dryer to remove wrinkles–it becomes nearly invisible. Also available are window inserts that install inside the home. They function much like a storm window and can not only block drafts, they can block UV rays and sound.
5. Let the Sun Do the Work
Sunlight is free heat. On clear days, open the curtains and blinds on west and south-facing windows to let the warmth in, then close them at night to hold that heat inside.
Window coverings act as a light layer of insulation after dark, so the simple habit of opening them by day and closing them at night helps on both ends.
6. Reverse Your Ceiling Fan
Heat rises, which means the warmest air in a room collects near the ceiling, where it does you no good. Most ceiling fans have a small switch on the motor housing that reverses the blade direction.
Set the fan to spin clockwise on a low speed in winter. This gently pushes the warm air near the ceiling back down along the walls and into the living space, so you feel warmer without touching the thermostat.
7. Set Your Water Heater to 120 Degrees
Water heating is a large share of home energy use, and many units are set hotter than they need to be. Some manufacturers ship water heaters set to 140°F, but most households only need 120°F.
The Department of Energy notes that a water heater set to 140°F can waste $36 to $61 a year in standby heat loss, with more savings on top of that from lower water use across the home. Dropping the setting to 120°F also slows mineral buildup inside the tank and lowers the risk of scalding.
8. Change Your Furnace Filter
A dirty furnace filter chokes airflow and forces the heating system to work harder to push warm air through the house. That means more energy use for the same result, and added wear on the equipment.
Check the filter monthly during the heating season and replace it before it looks gray and clogged. It usually needs replacing every one to three months, depending on the filter and the household. This is one of the cheapest things you can do to keep your system running efficiently. Note: new furnace filters help control dust and allergens in the house as well.
9. Use a Space Heater for One Cold Room
If a single room runs cold, a space heater can be cheaper than turning up the heat for the entire house. The furnace has to warm every room to raise the central temperature, while a space heater only has to handle the room you are in.
Use it safely: keep it on a hard, level surface, away from anything that can catch fire, and turn it off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
10. Keep Air Vents and Registers Clear
Furniture, rugs, and curtains often end up blocking air supply vents without anyone noticing. A blocked vent means rooms heat unevenly, and the system runs longer to compensate.
Walk through the house and make sure vents are open and clear. Vent deflectors are an inexpensive add-on that aim warm air out into the room instead of behind a couch or under a curtain.
A Few Changes That Keep Paying Off
The tips above help right away. A handful of larger improvements lower your heating bill season after season by cutting heat loss at the source.
Add or Improve Insulation
Heat escapes through walls, attics, and floors that lack proper insulation, and older homes are especially prone to it. Adding insulation in the attic and sealing air leaks around the foundation, attic hatch, and exterior walls keeps warm air where it belongs and takes pressure off the heating system. The same goes for the external walls of any unconditioned space against your living areas.
Address Basement Heat Loss
Basements are a common weak point. Cold air works its way in around basement windows, and an uncovered window well lets rain and snow collect right against the glass, which keeps the area damp and cold.
A window well cover keeps water, snow, and debris out of the well, so the basement window stays drier and the space around it stays more comfortable. Window Well Experts builds covers in crystal-clear polycarbonate, rust-free aluminum, and powder-coated steel, each one made to the measurements of your specific well. The covers work on metal, composite, wood, concrete, plastic, and stone wells, and Sloped, Flat, and Bubble styles carry a lifetime warranty.
Covers are not a heating system on their own, but keeping the basement window dry and shielded from the weather is one less cold, damp spot working against the rest of your efforts.
Look Into Financial Assistance
Many utilities and state programs offer rebates or financial assistance for energy efficiency upgrades like insulation, air sealing, and new heating equipment. Check with your utility company and your state energy office to see what is available where you live before you start a larger project.
Start Small, Stack the Savings
You do not have to do everything at once. Lower the thermostat tonight, change the filter this weekend, and seal the worst drafts next. Each change is small on its own, but together the energy savings add up to a warmer house and a lower heating bill all winter.
If your home has basement windows, covering the wells is a smart part of the plan. Window Well Experts ships custom-built window well covers across the continental United States to keep water, snow, and debris out of your wells. Call 1-888-650-9355 to talk with our team seven days a week, or request a free estimate by sending us your measurements.