Various tips and advice on how to save money on home heating usually come up during winter, but many of these turn out to be heating cost saving myths.
Before applying them to your heating & air conditioning in St. Paul, MN dig further and do more research, as many of these may simply be a myth or misconception.
Some might even end up costing you more money rather than saving it.
Here are some common heating cost saving myths.
Space Heaters vs. Central Heating
One such myth is that it would cost less to have space heaters run in a couple of rooms compared to running the homes central gas heating system.
The problem here is that electricity costs much more than natural gas.
Using electricity as a power source can cost up to five times the cost of using gas to heat the same space.
Not only that, space heaters are generally less efficient than central heaters if measured according to energy consumed per heat output.
The rule of thumb is, if you need to heat only a room or two, space heaters may be the better option; but if you want a bigger space or your entire home, heated, use central heating.
Turning the Thermostat Up
A common misconception regarding heaters is that turning the thermostat way up will heat the home faster.
This is not the case.
The only thing this would accomplish is to heat the house up to undesirable levels.
Constant Temperature
Another related myth is that it’s cheaper to keep the home at a constant temperature even when no ones around.
The U.S. Department of Energy says, however, that “You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to 68 degrees while you’re awake and setting it lower while you’re asleep or away from home.”
Heat Pumps
Instead of racking your brain trying to figure out which among the tips you hear are myths or real, consider buying a heat pump for your heating needs.
It allows you to increase and decrease the temperature in a few minutes at a button’s press. Heat pumps are very energy efficient, using only one kilowatt of electricity to produce four kilowatts of heating or cooling power. They are also eco-friendly, as they do not burn fuel for energy, thus leaving no carbon emissions.
Conclusion
Be sure to keep these myths and misconseptions in mind to efficiently deal with your heating needs this winter.
Furthermore, if you suspect your heating system may not be performing as well as it should, call on St. Paul, MN AC repair experts, like those at Metro Heating, to deal with the problem before it gets any worse.
If your heating isn’t working properly, or is costing more than you think it should, Contact Us today at (651) 294-7798 and tell us how we can help you.
(Source: Common heating myths that can raise energy bills, The Detroit News, November 23, 2014)
