Key to Keeping Warm is a Thorough Maintenance Check

Taking care to protect your home's vital systems can save you lots of money in both energy and repair costs.

If you’ve noticed falling temperatures, you’ve no doubt changed your habits to wear extra clothes, toss some extra blankets on the bed and maybe even turn on the heater. You may be tempted to stop there, but if you’re interested in saving money there are a few more steps you can take to reduce your energy costs over the winter. Ilyce Glink explores some of the best early investments for good returns over the season on the Equifax Finance Blog in her article, “Winter Home Maintenance and Weatherproofing Tips.”

The first recommended action is to get an inspection done of your heating system, including a duct cleaning if you haven’t had one in the past three to five years. Clogged filters and dirty vents cause your heating system to work harder, which will raise your bill or make the system break. This annual inspection can also check for wear and tear with any of your system’s parts so they don’t break down when you need them most, like in the middle of a snowstorm.

One you can do yourself is to check your gutters and clean them as necessary. While cleaning gutters is often a pain, the cost can be much worse. If the gutters are left obstructed, dams can occur and water will seek the path of least resistance, which might be your roof. Even worse, cold temperatures can allow water seeping inside of your home to freeze and expand to make the pathways for flooding even bigger.

There are plenty of other ways to keep your energy costs down, including insulation for your attic, plugging any cracks you may have with caulk and upgrading old appliances to more energy efficient ones. For more information on the best ways to save money in real estate, insurance, retirement, tax and credit, be sure to visit the Equifax Finance Blog.