Heating Season Begins: The Energy Department's Fall and Winter Saving Tips Put the Thermostat and Furnace Filter at the Center of the Bill
As autumn temperatures fall and the heating season begins, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Saver fall and winter tips show that a household's heating bill is largely decided by a few routine actions. First is the thermostat: the DOE advises setting it as low as is comfortable while home and awake, and turning it back 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours while asleep or away, which can save around 10% a year on heating and cooling bills. A programmable thermostat can automate the setback; households with heat pumps should maintain a moderate setting or use a programmable thermostat designed for heat pumps. Data cited by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources from the DOE put the saving at roughly 1% to 3% of the heating bill for every degree the thermostat is lowered.
Second is heating-system maintenance. The DOE recommends scheduling service for the heating system as the season starts, and replacing a furnace filter once a month or as needed, since a dirty filter slows airflow and makes the system work harder. Wood- and pellet-burning heaters should have their flue vents cleaned regularly and their interiors cleaned periodically to keep heating efficiently.
Third is sealing leaks: around utility cut-throughs for pipes, gaps around chimneys and recessed lights, and unfinished spaces behind cupboards and closets, plus caulk or weatherstripping around leaky doors and windows. The DOE also advises keeping the fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning, comparing an open damper to a wide-open window in winter that lets warm air escape straight up the chimney.
Sunlight is the final item on the list: open curtains on south-facing windows during the day to let the sun's heat in, and close them at night to reduce the chill from cold windows. The measures appear in the Energy Department's published fall and winter energy-saving tips for households to work through before heating bills arrive.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 住户用遥控器调节家中恒温器温度（资料图）。照片：Shixart1985 摄，CC BY 2.0，经维基共享资源。 / File photo: a resident adjusting a home thermostat by remote control. Photo by Shixart1985, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
