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For those who live in colder climates, your home heating system is an absolute necessity. After all, it can help you defy cold temperatures and a windy weather all winter. But this year, cold shots could also put your Bank account on ice cream : According to the Energy Information Administration, heating costs for houses that use natural gas should increase by $ 200 on average, electric heating could skip $ 123 and heating oil could rush from $ 1,200, reports CNN . If you are looking to save money this winter, there are a few things you want to avoid in the house. Read the rest to see the mistakes you could make that increases your heating bills, according to the experts.

Read this then: 10 errors you make that keep your house cold, say the experts .

The sun shining during short winter days may not make it feel as hot as in other seasons. But the experts say that even these few precious rays that pour in your home can remove part of the load from your heating system, which translates directly into savings.

"You may not realize it, but if you have a house that is filled with sun during the winter months, you could benefit from the concept of solar gain," said Ryan Meagher of a residential construction company Contract bvm .

"In simple terms, the more you can leave in your sun house, the more your house will be hot without having to count on your heating source. So open these curtains and make sure to leave as much light as possible to reduce your bills by Global heating! "

Your domestic heating system would be nothing without its main source of food: just ask anyone who has been ventilated the oven in the middle of winter. But experts warn that you could accumulate very high energy costs if you do not carry out the most basic maintenance of this essential device.

"One of the most common errors that people make about their heating bills do not regularly change the filter of the furnace," said Shaun Martin , owner and CEO of Denver The house purchase company . "It is important to replace your furnace filter every three months, or as recommended by the manufacturer, in order to maintain your effective heating.

Read this then: The first things that guests notice when they come to your home, say the experts .

Whether you work with a fixer or rent a unit that leaves something to be desired in the heating service, it is not always easy to design a configuration that keeps you warm. But if you are looking to save money, experts say that it may be better to operate everything on the same finely set system to avoid waste. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

"The more heating devices you use and the more you use them can increase your energy bills," explains Robert Johnson , marketing director for Coastal devices .

"For example, do not use a programmable thermostat or a thermostat that lacks correct calibration can light the electric radiator at unnecessary moments," he explains. "This considerably increases your electricity expenses because the thermostat exceeds and consumes more energy than you need."

When the first cold sign strikes, it can be easy to play "adjust it and forget" with the thermostat of your home for months. But while your indoor plants could appreciate soft temperatures, experts warn that running too high heat when you are not there is one of the easiest ways to waste serious money.

"Regardless of the type of thermostat you have - whether intelligent, programmable or prehistoric - you would benefit from the drop in the temperature of your home while you are absent for prolonged periods, as during your working day, a weekend escapade, or longer vacation, "explains Meagher. "As long as you keep your home above the frost, everything should be fine, but it would be recommended to maintain the temperature above 60 degrees to make good measure."

In this case, upgrading your current heating configuration could be worth it. "If you have an intelligent thermostat, you can remotely modify the temperature point of time of your home and create schedules to reduce the point of order while you are far from home or asleep. The overall lens is Reducing the average temperature, so the heating source of your home is doing less work and inevitably using less energy, "says Meagher.

And what about when you are at home during the day? Martin suggests avoiding the temptation to adjust the high temperature sky, saying: "Make sure to adjust your thermostat, not greater than 68 degrees during the winter months to make the most of your heating system."

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It can be easy to forget that the energy costs are not only linked to the heating of your rooms. The water heater in your home also has trouble keeping a considerable amount of liquid at high temperatures, making it an equally expensive device to operate during the winter. Experts say that staying above them can ultimately save you a lot of money.

"Setting the temperature of the water heater too high, or 120 degrees Fahrenheit and above, is another error that many people make," warns Johnson. "This can cause heat loss in standby or heat loss in the surrounding subsoil area, equivalent to $ 30 at $ 60 per year."

An icy air burst of an open door can often be one of the fastest ways to lower the temperature of your home in winter. But if you do not stay above certain basic home repairs, they could provide a constant project even when they are closed, which will keep your refreshers to do overtime and will end up costing you more.

"If you can feel the cold air go through your door during the cold winter months, it is likely that you will have to replace the weather stripping," said Meagher. "It is an easy DIY work that many owners could finish - simply make a trip to your nearest hardware store with photos of your existing weather, and they can help you! And this is one of the easiest And the fastest ways to help you reduce your heating bills by preventing hot air from escaping your home. "

Read this then: 10 Kitchen upgrades that will give you the impression of being in a film by Nancy Meyers .

Unfortunately, it is not only your doors that can let the outside air enter. Even if you cannot spend a lot of time on it, experts warn that the upper and lower floors of your home may make your home more likely to become cold despite the best efforts in your heating system, including where you park your car .

"If your attic, your balloon balace or your garage is not properly isolated, your heating system must work harder to keep the house at a coherent temperature". Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt , Stars of hgtv's 100 -day dream house and associate with American standard heating and air conditioning, tell Better life . "Basically, the more your HVAC system works hard, the more it costs you. If you live in a colder climate where temperatures can drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, we recommend that you add an additional layer of insulation to your Garage door, as it can make a big difference in improving the limit of your home and the maintenance of hot air [by] while keeping the cold air outside. "