Trim Down Your Home Office Heating Bill, Part 1

You may be trimming a tree this holiday, but don't forget that the winter can present an unwelcome gift. When your home is your office, make sure that you take every step possible to prepare it for the season and the winter heating bills. MichCon offers some helpful and simple tips to make your home office warm and still save on overhead.

• Schedule a heating system tune-up. A qualified heating contractor will check that the heating system is operating efficiently and delivering maximum energy savings.
• Clean or replace your furnace's air filter monthly during the winter season. Dirty filters block the warm airflow in the home, causing the furnace to work harder and less economically. Also, check the thermostat to be sure it's working properly.
• Clean and vacuum ducts, vents and registers. People with pets need to be especially conscious that pet hair accumulates quickly in your home.
• Check your fireplace chimney for animals, debris build-up and leaves. Consider installing screens over your chimney, furnace and dryer vents to prevent unwelcome guests.
• Install an insulation blanket around your water heater and set the water heater temperature to the warm setting (120 degrees F).
• Like these holiday tips? Look for our upcoming "Holiday Central" in December that will be chockfull of tips, articles, tools and more!

See our tips on Tuesday, November 21 for part 2 of this article.