3 Inexpensive Heating Tips: Save Money on your Power Bill

Here I share 3 cheap ways to bring your winter heating bills down. I will show you examples of what I use in my own house and discuss how well they actually work.

I share some unknown tricks using large bubble wrap, dryer heat recovery devices, and humiditifiers to save big money on your power bills.

Music
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

[TarrinLupo]

Sorry I should have been clearer about applying the bubble wrap. I just spritz plain water on the flat side of the bubble wrap and the suction pressure will keep it on for months. If it dries out and starts to fall off, just do it again. I have reused the same pieces of wrap for years. Also they do let in enough light for my plants to grow.

[gazellerichardson]

We use a small crock pot to add moisture to the air. Uses minimal electricity. Can also toss some herbs or spices in and have a nice aroma in the house.

[GCSol]

When I was 12 I put bubble wrap on my bedroom window. My dad thought I was nuts until he saw how much warmer my room was. The following winter we did all the windows in the house. That was back in the early 70s.

[HJG-]

The bubble wrap (with another layer of clear plastic over it) is what l used for many years in an unheated glass greenhouse. l was able to keep many plants from freezing or dying over the winter. And also found that just having a few regular lamps (with their lampshades removed) created enough heat to really be of help. The bubble wrap became thermal -- keeping cold out and heat in.
Never thought to use in the am going to try now!

[TheOriginalSerpent]

Great ideas! Here in Michigan past few weeks was like Antarctic here! Super long lasting candles that will last two weeks. Need the giant can of crisco n tapered candles and metal pails. Put 2 tapered candles in the crisco. Push them all the way to the bottom of the crisco. Trim the candles first so only a half inch sticks up above the crisco. Place each can of crisco in a metal pail. Great light and heat source and will last for weeks at 8 hours a day use...

[susancousineau]

great to see you again, you're looking well. I live in a 1940s log home with original Windows and doors. to say it's frosty is an understatement. yesterday morning it was 4 degrees at 9a.m. I can use all the hints on staying warm that I can get. These were very inexpensive and practical. Thanks

[patsycav]

Thanks so much for this idea. I am an obsessive recycler. I get large and smaller bubble wrap with my grocery orders, so I am halfway there, but will go to Amazon for more. I block my window a.c.'s in the winter, instead of removing them and then re-installing in the summer. Bubble wrap and duct tape is a good way to do it. You can also use the plastic covered padding that stores use for shipping perishable foods and frozen meat, etc. I just anchor it over the a.c. with duct tape and the draperies cover it, so it doesn't show. It's hardly noticeable from the outside, especially if there is a tree or bush near the window. Also, the window could be in a place where no one notices, and who cares...they don't pay the electric bill. lol

[zoneofattack]

In Canada we would put a bubble on the car side windows to keep them from iceing over worked great

[texascommtech]

Ceiling fans and/or floor fans are absolutely essential. They blow heat down from the ceiling to the floors where it's needed most, and they help make moisture on windows dry up, helping to minimize mold and mildew.
We have a ceiling fan even in our bathroom, which is really helpful for several reasons! It is on a zero to 15 minute timer, so you can set it, walk out after your shower, and it will dry out the bathroom and then turn itself off.

[bonniejeanthomasduarte]

I'm going to try this it's not so much on saving $ but I do love saving $ but my elderly mother gets very cold and I hate it when she gets she cause she means the world to me.

[cloudstrifeification]

Be careful with the dryer idea and keep an eye on your humidity as if it gets too high you can have a breeding ground for mold and mildew. You want to keep the humidity in the 40--50% range and no higher.

[glennydavidson]

ERIC thanks. My neighbour's old log house is cold so I am passing this to him. I love the look of your windows with bubbles. Thanks a lot

[mustang]

My mother always had electric dryers. She would put a pantyhose stocking on end on dryer an duct tape it every winter to catch lint.Summer toss the pantyhosehose convert dryer hose back to outside again. Also adding rolled up towels, etc to bottom of window sill helps with drafts. If ur putting plastic on window save newspapers, brown bags, magazines fold like a ruler long an 1 or 1/2 inche wide. Use them folded in plastic over windows. Helps with extra insulation. Also helps so it doesnt tear as easy if kids or animals lean on plastic. Just few of my mama's tips.

[honkymonkey]

never thought of the dryer thing, going to try it, thanks. I cut my power bill in half by just turning off my water heater until 30 minutes before I take a shower.

[can]

I bought a house 2 years, but it is an old war time home -77 years old, and it was never insulated in the attic - ever. So the electrical wires were all over the attic floor, so I made a subfloor to avoid walking on the wires, and used 2 x 3 to support the subfloor and covered them with the OSB boards you buy at Home Depot that have the blue insulation (blue side down) on them and they interlock together. Then I put up baffels and then insulation and then the vapour barrier in the ceiling area. The side pitch I will not be using was insulated also and a 38 inch wall was covered around the 24 x 12 feet walls. In 2017-18 season I used 3 tanks of propane from November until March. In season 2018-19, I have used only 1 tank and maybe get from November to Februarys end until I fill up for the second time. Insulating the attic has made it really warmer on the first floor. As there is no basement beneath the first floor, I did put a double door on the opening where you have the crawl space, and maybe having the laminate floor insulating the floor (which means 2 floors laid with vapour barrier in between the floors has also helped. One last thing, all this was done by a 70 year old woman - me, and have not only saved on the heating bill (colder 2018-19 year so far), but the internet taught me a lot of tips to save the heating money. I did put the heavy plastic also on three windows on the outside. The kitchen, small and large bedroom window have helped save on heating bills. Last thing I did, was build a 5 foot high fence at the back of my property that stopped the wind from the water tower's wire fence that separated all our properties from the water tower land. Having that solid fence - all solid boards were together with no wind going between the usual fence. Thanks for the tip on using bubble wrap, may have to try that next, especially on the back bathroom window that faces the back yard with the water tower winds.

[hazelallen]

i live in Australia and we get really strong cold winds from the south pole every winter, i wrap my fly screens in cling wrap and keep the wind out.

[donaldcouture]

about 20 years ago there was an attachment to the dryer exhaust line that was designed specifically for this purpose. . i haven't seen it since then, it had a small square box with filters in it that collected lint . i supplement heat with wood so any extra humidity is a bonus . mold is not a welcome option. cheers

[loopiewho]

OH, WHEN I WAS AT HOME AT MY PARENTS I HAD A CLUB HOUSE IN THE GARDEN SHED, AND I COMPLETELY COVERED THE INSIDE WITH BUBBLE WRAP AND EVEN THE ROOF AND THE FLOORS I DID IN FOAM AND CARPET AND IT WAS SO COSY AND I EVEN HAD A HIFI IN THERE AND A FAN HEATER WHICH YOU ONLY NEEDED TO HAVE ON FOR LIKE 5 MINUTES AND IT STAYED WARM EVEN IN THE SNOW AND ICY DAYS I MISS MY OLD DEN,

And wouldn't you know I forgot to put a container of water near the lounge room heater this winter. But, I'm 80 and forget something sometimes. You're a Godsend. Great ideas. Many blessings, thank you.

[Arky]

I did just plastic on my sliding glass door and the dryer trick and I saved around $300 a month during the winter months in I love free money!