With our cold Canadian winters, electric and heating bills are getting higher and higher. Here are a few tricks to help you keep them low when the mercury drops.

1- Reduce Heat Loss through Doors and Windows

Most of the heat lost at home is usually through doors and windows. Making sure that they are adequately sealed and insulated will contribute greatly to lower heating costs. An easy and low-cost solution to this consists in using plastic wrap to seal the windows and installing new weatherstripping for your doors.

2- Maintain Heat in the Living Space of a Room

Although contrary to popular belief, turning the ceiling fan on allows circulating warm air above to the centre of the room. All you need to do is set the ventilator wheel so that it rotates clockwise. This will push warmer air toward the walls and down into the living space of the room.

3- Reduce the Use of your Bathroom Fan

Bathroom fans are great for removing humidity inside the home after a hot shower. However, continued use will also suck all the hot air out of your home. Consequently, use them only when required.

4- Insulate your Hot Water Tank

If your hot water tank is not insulated, it is very likely that it is losing heat. Touch the tank and if you can feel the heat, then you need to insulate it better.

5- Take Full Advantage of Heat from the Sun

A simple and efficient way to reduce electricity costs and increase the heat in your home is to let sunlight in during the day. Simply leave the curtains open during the day. Just remember to close them when night comes to keep the heat in.