With the colder weather settling in, the last thing you need to be concerned about is keeping a comfortable home. It would be great to be lounging around on the couch enjoying the cozy warmth of your home and not worrying about the colder weather outside. Of course, it typically doesn’t happen that way, and there are a few items that could be happening in your home that might result in a need for furnace repair or trying to figure out why your bill is so high.
There are a variety of causes for higher utility bills, but these are three of the more common ones we typically hear about at.
- Heat is getting out through the glass of your windows – when the warm air in your home reaches windows that are cold from the outdoor air, it impacts the indoor air by reducing some of the heat. One way to help reduce the loss of heat is to make sure you’re closing your drapes during the evening hours and only opening drapes on windows receiving light during the day.
- Lack of attic insulation – if you live in an older home there’s a chance that there is insufficient insulation. This means you could be losing heat through your attic, which in-turn makes your furnace work harder, and could eventually lead to the need for a furnace repair. When you go to check out your attic’s insulation, you’ll want to see if the insulation is even or below the joists. If it is, it’s likely your attic needs some additional insulation.
- Gaps in windows and doors – it’s not always easy to tell by just taking a quick look if there are large gaps. Make sure to take a close look at all of your windows and doors to determine whether you need to add weather stripping to take care of those gaps. As we mentioned with attic insulation, window and door gaps can force your furnace to work harder, increasing the chance of furnace repair down the line.
These are just a few tips to help you determine any potential problem areas in your house that could cause heat loss. If you’d like to speak with our professionals about your furnace or indoor comfort, give us a call at 614-879-9091.