Got my first gas bill this fall and it's already higher than last October, which has me dreading December and January. Last year I turned the thermostat down a couple of degrees and honestly barely noticed the difference, so I'm doing that again — but the rate itself still went up.
What are you all doing to keep heating costs down? Space heater in one room, sealing drafty windows, electric blankets, one of those smart thermostats? Curious what actually worked for people.
What usually gives the biggest payoff for the least money is sealing drafts: weatherstripping on doors and plastic film on old windows cost a few dollars and cut heat loss noticeably. A programmable or smart thermostat helps mostly if it lowers the temperature at night and while nobody's home. Many gas utilities also offer budget billing, which spreads winter costs evenly over the year so January doesn't hit all at once.
Space heaters can help if you only use one or two rooms in the evening and turn the central heat down, but heating the whole house with them on electricity often costs more than gas. Cheap wins: close vents and doors in unused rooms, reverse ceiling fans to push warm air down, and get the furnace filter changed before December. Also worth asking the utility about free energy audits, a lot of them offer one.
I'm definitely budgeting more this year — our January bill last winter was already a shock, and the rates have only gone up since. The thermostat-down-a-few-degrees trick worked for us too, honestly you stop noticing after a couple of days. The one thing that actually moved the needle was the plastic film on our old windows, it was like $15 for the whole house and the drafts basically disappeared.
We're budgeting more too — our January bill last winter was the highest we've ever had, so I'm mentally prepared for it to be worse this time.
What actually helped us most was sealing drafts: I put that plastic window film on our older windows and dropped the thermostat a couple of degrees, and it made a bigger difference than I expected. I looked into a smart thermostat but haven't installed one yet — has anyone here actually seen real savings with one, or is it mostly hype?
On the smart thermostat question: the savings mostly come from the schedule, not the 'smart' part. Energy Star estimates around 8% off heating and cooling for a properly used one, and a basic $30–40 programmable thermostat set to drop at night and during work hours gets you most of that. Many utilities also give a rebate of $50 or more on smart models, so check before buying.
Yes, definitely budgeting more — our January bill last winter was already the highest we've ever paid, and the rates have gone up since then, so I'm mentally preparing for it. What actually helped us most was sealing drafts: I put that plastic window film on our older windows last year and it really did make a difference, plus weatherstripping around the front door. I also turned the thermostat down one degree and got an electric blanket for the couch, which honestly made the lower temperature totally fine. Someone here mentioned budget billing and I'm going to look into that — spreading the cost out evenly over the year sounds way better than getting destroyed by January.
Another thing worth checking: most utilities offer budget billing, which spreads the winter peak across the year so January doesn't hit all at once. It doesn't lower the total, but it makes planning easier. And if money is tight, LIHEAP (the federal heating assistance program) and utility hardship programs open applications in the fall, and the income limits are higher than many people expect.
Yes, I'm definitely budgeting more this year too. Our bill last winter already felt high, so I've turned the thermostat down a couple of degrees and I'm trying to be more careful about heating rooms we're not using. Sealing the drafty windows sounds like a good next step — has anyone actually noticed a real difference from that? I'm hoping it helps before the coldest months hit.
Worth asking your utility about budget billing: they average the year's heating costs into equal monthly payments, so January doesn't hit all at once. Many utilities also have winter assistance or hardship programs if money is tight. On the cheap side, sealing drafty windows and doors with weatherstrip tape and dropping the thermostat a couple of degrees at night can noticeably cut the bill.
Yes, I am definitely budgeting more this year. My first fall bill was already higher than last October, so I turned the thermostat down a couple of degrees and started closing off rooms we barely use. I also want to try sealing the drafty windows, since that sounds like the cheapest fix people here keep mentioning. Hopefully that keeps January from being too painful.
Кыһыҥҥы ороскуоту эрдэттэн былааннаабыт ордук: түннүк хайаҕастарын бүөлээһин, термостаты түүн 1–2 кыраадыс намтатыы — кыратык да буоллар, кыһын устата суоттанар.
On the drafty windows question: window insulation film kits are cheap and quick to install, and heavy curtains closed at night help too. A simple test is holding a lit incense stick near the frame on a windy day