Putting the Freeze on Your Condo Heating Bill
Is your condo bill running a little, well, hot?
If you’ve been feeling the burn lately when covering your condo bill, you’re not alone. It’s no secret that energy bills have been skyrocketing across the country for a while now – so what better time, we thought, to take a moment to chat about condo heat-saving practices?
Whether you’re reading this blog right when it goes live, or you happen to stumble across it years later once heating costs have blessedly leveled off (they will level off…right??), these energy-saving tips are timeless. Read on, then, and learn more about condo heating and how to keep your condo warm while using less – no matter what your bill looks like.
Five Tips to Put Your Heating Bill on Ice
1. It’s Curtains for High Heating Bills
Whatever sorts of window coverings you’ve got, they’re often your best first defense against soaring heating bills. All you’ve got to do is open up those drapes, blinds, or shutters in the morning to let all that glorious natural sunlight in and then close them again in the evening to keep that heat from escaping through the windows into the cold of night.
This might sound like a bit of a band-aid solution, but honestly, depending on your windows’ direction and how many you’ve got, this simple habit can be a cost-saving game-changer for your condo heating. So go ahead and give it a shot!
2. Get Smart
One of the simplest ways to tackle a sky-high heating bill is to switch to a smart thermostat. That said, even the most intelligent of temperature knobs won’t help you save on heating if you keep it cranked, so ensure that you program it to knock down a couple of ticks when you’re sleeping or away for best results. Around 17°C is a good temp for when you’re not awake or away from home – and 20°C should do the job for most other times. These simple energy-saving tips can make a big difference in reducing your condo heating costs.
You don’t even need a smart thermostat if you’re keen to keep bumping that temperature up and down all day – but if you’d instead simply set it and forget it, definitely take the time to upgrade today.
3. Keep the Heat in and the Cold Out
Now that you’ve sorted your thermostat, it’s time to take the next step and ensure that the heat you are generating is working its most challenging for you and not just making an easy escape into the frosty night.
Take some time to walk around your condo and see if you can detect any drafts sneaking in around doors, windows, or anywhere else. These drafts can significantly impact your condo heating efficiency. Chances are, if you do have a draft anywhere, you already know about it – it’ll be found wherever that notoriously cold bit of space happens to be in your condo unit.
There’s a trick to sussing out exactly where you may or may not have a draft, too, if your thermal investigatory skills happen to be coming up short. Safely light a candle or stick of incense (condo bylaws permitting, of course!) and carefully hold it up near any suspect cracks or crevices. If the flame gutters or the incense smoke gets blown about, bingo: you’ve found your draft. This is one of those simple yet effective energy-saving tips. Now all you’ve got to do is apply some weather stripping or sealant and enjoy the sweet satisfaction of knowing your condo heating will be more efficient, setting yourself up for heat-saving success from here on out.
4. Make Sure Your Ceiling Fan’s Spinning ‘Round Right
Which way is your ceiling fan spinning currently? If it’s running counter-clockwise, climb up there and flip the switch to get it going clockwise without delay. By swapping your fan’s running direction with the seasons, you’ll ensure that it’s working to warm your condo up in wintertime. Hot air rises – so when a fan spins clockwise, it actually works to pull that cooler air up to the top of the room, where it mingles with and displaces the warmer air near the ceiling, making the whole space feel cozier as a result.
Then, get some extra bang for your buck by not just running any ceiling fan but ensuring you’ve got an Energy Star-certified model installed. It’s a great way to enhance your condo heating efficiency and save even more on your utilities going forward. Don’t ever say we’ve never done anything nice for you. 😉
5. Liberate Those Heating Vents
You’re looking to make the most of your heat, right? One of the best energy-saving tips is to ensure you don’t have any vents or registers blocked, especially if their sole purpose is keeping the underside of your sectional nice and toasty.
Go for a walk around your condo and take a peek under all your different bits of furniture to ensure you don’t have a condo heating vent blasting that precious warm air directly into your love seat or recliner. Locate each and every register in your unit and ensure they’ve all got clear, unobstructed space around them to distribute heat evenly across the room properly. Not only will your furniture thank you (that dry forced air will damage wood and weaken joints over time), but your heating bill will, too.
Follow these tips, and you can help cool off your condo’s heating bill this winter – and live more sustainably to boot!
Still looking for more ways to save on heating this season? We’ve got a few extra (slightly more elaborate!) tricks up our sleeves at Catalyst Condo Management – feel free to get in touch with us today and learn more.