7 Money-Saving Myths That Don’t Actually Lower Your Heating Bill

We're all trying to save energy on our heating bills in the cold winter months. However, there are many common pieces of advice about heating your home that don't actually lower your monthly costs.

In fact, many of these supposed tips will raise your bill even more. Here are seven false or misleading claims about heating your house. Avoiding these money-wasting myths is a smart homeowner move no matter where you live. 

It's conventional wisdom that older homes need to be upgraded to fix insulation issues and air leakage. However, it's not just old homes — plenty of new houses have leaks around windows, doors, and ductwork, too.

Newer houses also require weatherization to better keep warm air in your house. Perform a home energy audit to identify problem areas and use weather stripping and caulk to seal leaks. This will improve your home's energy efficiency and reduce heating costs from warm air escaping.

You might think a portable electric heater would be a more cost-efficient choice than central heating, but that's not true. While these heaters warm up an individual room fast, they also use a lot of electricity, which is more expensive per unit of energy than gas or oil.

Central heat is more effective for heating an entire house. Instead of buying a bunch of costly electric space heaters, focus on optimizing your central heating system by using a programmable thermostat to lower the temperature when you're asleep or not around.

On a particularly cold day, you might be tempted to crank the thermostat super high to warm your home faster, but that would be a mistake. A central heater will increase the temperature consistently, so it does not matter if you overshoot on the thermostat.

You'll have to set it at the desired temperature and wait until it reaches that point. While that might be uncomfortable, you'll waste more money if you forget to turn it back down. Put on some more layers, and you'll endure it just fine.

It's tempting to close vents in rooms you're not in so you can redirect the heat to other areas, thinking this saves you money on heating costs. In reality, this isn't how your home's central heating works.

Closing vents means more pressure in the system because the air cannot flow freely through them. This increases energy consumption and leads to increased costs. Instead, focus on making sure your vents are free and clear of debris or other objects so you can allow your central heater to do its job.

Many believe they can reduce their heating bill by utilizing their fireplace and burning wood. However, fireplaces are not an efficient way to heat a home, since much of the heat escapes through the chimney.

Fireplaces are more outdated and ineffective compared to modern heating methods. If you love the aesthetics of a fireplace, you can install a glass door to prevent heat loss.

While it might make sense on the surface, turning off your heater completely will not save you money on your monthly bill. Having the heat completely off means your house will get much colder. Once you return and turn the heat back on, the extreme temperature fluctuation forces your heating system to use more energy than if you had simply lowered the thermostat to a moderate setting while away.

You should never stop maintaining your central heater. From changing filters to inspecting the unit to cleaning vents, these steps can save you money in the long run.

The more work you put into maintaining your system, the fewer headaches you will have down the road. The last thing you want on a freezing day is your heater to stop working, which can be costly to repair or replace. Take the time throughout the year to give it the attention it needs.

The best approach to save money is to keep your thermostat set at a reasonable level while you're home and lower it by seven to ten degrees while you're away or asleep. That way, you can stay warm and cozy even during the coldest days of the year.

You'll end up avoiding those money-wasting habits and keeping your heating bills lower, which is a smart money move for homeowners.