Preparing Your NJ Heating System for Chilly Temperatures

With cool temperatures come burgeoning heating bills: heating bills that put an unwanted damper on family budgets and holiday spending. To lower winter utility bills and maintain your family’s comfort and safety, remember these helpful cold-weather tips:

• Insulate your home from the chill. Many homeowners don’t realize the significant energy savings that comes with closing their blinds and drapes in the evening. It may also be worthwhile to install lined curtains, or to cover large windows with blankets or insulating plastic. On sunny days, open curtains to enjoy free, natural heat from the sun’s rays.
• Install weather stripping and block out drafts. As it grows colder, check each door and window for drafts. Replace or install weather stripping around leaky openings, and place fabric “draft snakes” along the base of your front and back doors. 
• Seal floorboard gaps. Over time, wood floorboards pull away from flooring and contract during cold temperatures. Unfortunately, this allows unwanted air into your home. To remedy this problem, fill gaps with traditional wood, silicon or foam filler, and refinish treated baseboards with matching paint or stain. Properly sealed floorboards can reduce your energy bill up to 15 percent!  
• Turn down the thermostat. Just one to two degrees can cut your heating bill by 10 to 15 percent—and it’s more cost effective to add an extra clothing layer and use an energy-efficient space heater rather than wasting energy throughout your home.  
• Have your heating system inspected before winter arrives. A fall HVAC inspection is a good way to ensure that your heating system is operating safely and efficiently. And, when you sign up for a Stashluk Annual Safety Inspection (ASI), you’ll receive comprehensive tune-ups, preferred repair scheduling and money-saving discounts!

For more energy efficiency tips and safety information, visit Hot Info on our comprehensive website, or call 908-277-6200 to schedule your heating system safety inspection today!