Everyone wants to pay less to heat their homes, partly because there are no bragging rights for paying more than your neighbors do to heat their homes.

“Hey, how much did you pay last year to heat your home? That’s it, are you kidding me? We paid almost double that, and it was darn well worth it!”

Add that to your list of things you are likely to never, ever hear.

Speaking of lists, here are a few things to add to your list on ways to cut your home heating costs. Don’t already have one? Than the following will make terrific first entries:

• Keep shades and blinds open during the day on windows that face the sun, and close them as soon as the sun starts to fade.

• Buy and install a dual-direction ceiling fan and, in the winter, run it in reverse. That serves to force the heat back down into your living quarters, allowing you to feel perfectly comfortable at a lower temperature setting.

• Locate and seal all air leaks. Each house, they say, has enough of these that if they were to be combined, you’d have the equivalent of a hula-hoop size hole in your wall letting the heat escape. Good places to insulate include inside sockets and switches, inside outside facing walls, doors and windows, and your attic.

• Invest in one or more programmable thermostats so you can cut your heating costs while no one’s home but still have your home nice and warm upon your return.

• With whole-house zoning, you can warm those areas where you spend the most time, and turn the thermostat way back in rooms no longer frequently used.

Another sure-fire way to help keep your heating costs in line is with a heating system clean and check from Boden. Ours is a multi-point process that also helps your system run more efficiently and safely. It also leads to fewer repairs and a longer system lifespan. Contact us today for more information or to schedule service.