As the end of January approaches, American families are starting to feel the burden of the cold weather on their homes as well as the financial burden on their energy bills.  During a particularly cold and snowy winter, it can be difficult to deal with high energy bills; however, some tricks and smart planning can save you a lot of money on your heating costs the rest of the winter.

Consider installing a timer system to raise and lower the temperature according to your sleep schedule and what times you are out of the house.  Even a difference of a few degrees can save a significant amount of energy, especially in a large house.  If you don’t have a timer system, consider turning the heat down manually before bed or when you leave for work in the morning.  Turning off the hot water system when you are gone for more than a few days can also save quite a but of money.  However, do not turn the heater off completely if you live in one of the colder parts of the country – if water pipes freeze inside the walls, they can cause more home problems than lower energy bills would solve!  Be sure that the temperature inside your home never drops below 50 degrees.

If your heating system is a water system, it may be economical to turn off radiators in rooms that are not in use.  However, do remember to close the doors to these rooms – this will prevent warm air from being wasted by flowing into these unused rooms.  Turning down the thermostats on radiators is also a smart choice when turning them off is not an option.

Choosing the right manual balancing valves or automatic balancing valves is important for regulating the water flow and temperature of your system.  High-quality balancing valves like those available from Flo-Pac will maintain equal flow of hot and cold water in the system, allowing for appropriate use of energy.  For more information on valve options and specifications, visit Flo-Pac online.