Sheldon, Iowa — It’s very cold outside. In fact, some people report that their furnace almost hasn’t stopped running in the last couple of days. That’s going to cost more money when the bill comes. So it might be a good time to make sure you’re getting all you can get — as efficiently as possible — from your furnace.
Mid-American Energy spokesperson Geoff Greenwood says the first thing you can do — is turn down your thermostat and live with it. In other words, put on a sweater or sweatshirt or curl up under a blanket.
Greenwood says another thing that will not maybe keep you warmer, but will help your bill stay lower is to buy and use a programmable thermostat.
Also, he says while it won’t help you with this cold snap — for next time, or more likely next year — you can also install more insulation.
Even something as unassuming as window treatments can help your house stay warmer, says Greenwood.
Of course, you can always use space heaters. But there are two things to remember, both having to do with how much electricity they take. First of all, play it safe with space heaters and never connect them with extension cords. They are made to use pretty close to the limit of electricity on the circuit, so extension cords could get dangerously hot when used with space heaters. Also, since they do take a lot of electricity, they are pretty expensive to run.
And here’s another reminder in this very cold weather — if you have a high-efficiency gas furnace that vents out the side of your house, make sure it’s not frozen over or iced up. That would prevent the exhaust from getting outside and could cause carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide poisoning. Experts also say to check your sewer vent pipes too, for a similar reason.
