It's the thing that everyone dreads
hearing, but it's the unfortunate truth: heating costs for 2012 are going to be
higher than average. That's not necessarily because of the increase of oil
prices, but rather, it can be attributed to the fact that we're going to have a
significantly colder winter than usual. The Energy Information Administration
predicts that anyone using oil to heat their homes – especially for those who
live in the Northeast – heating bills could reach a record cost of $2,500 this
winter. That's a whopping 20% increase from the prior year, despite the
extremely nominal increase in fuel costs, which is a mere 2%. Natural gas users
will see an increase as well, by about 15%, averaging to about $1,000 for the
season in the Northeast.
For the Pennsylvania area, there is
anticipated to be 18% more days requiring the usage of heaters this year than
last year. Since you'll be getting so much use out of your unit this year –
both because the temperature will drop, and because there will be more frequent
cold days – it's important to ensure that you're not paying too much. Don't
forget to take the necessary precautions to keep the cost of heating your home
as low as possible.
- · Use a programmable thermostat to make sure that your heater isn't working overtime when no one's in the house.
- · Make sure your unit has clean filters at all times to improve efficiency.
- · Make sure that your local Southampton heating company has done a yearly checkup on the unit to ensure that the inner workings are clean and less prone to issues.
- · If you live in the Southampton area, be sure to shop around for an HVAC company – don't overpay!
- · Ensure that your home is properly insulated to avoid cold air seeping in.
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