We have a medium size ranch home on a slab. I've heard several different theories on saving the most on heating costs. We have a forced air furnace. I've heard people say close some vents, keep all vents open, keep the fan going all the time, etc. What has worked best to keep energy bills low?
Since you have forced air heating...The only good way to cut the bill is lower the thermostat...You can then add a quartz (very efficient) heater to the room you occupy the most... I seriously don't care how cold it is in my bedroom because I'm under the covers...I keep my thermostat at 64f for the whole house but I have a quartz heater in the living room and it's like 72 in here..The quartz heater is very efficient and the electricity it uses is miniscule compared to keeping the whole house at 72.. :-)
Zone your house into areas you use and don't use. Be sure any areas closed off do not have plumbing or something that could freeze in them, if so adjust accordingly. Any vents not in use should be covered to prevent cold air from forced air ducting bleeding into the room. Other than that just use some common sense and do your best.
I suggest a serious inspection of all wall and ceiling penetrations. Window and door frames should be caulked inside and out, with adequate weatherstripping on movable parts.Electrical outlets in walls can be sealed with low cost gaskets that are installed inside the cover plates. Caulking top and bottom of baseboards can also reduce infiltration. Ceiling light fixtures, especially recessed cans allow alot of heat to escape into unheated attic or crawl space. Blown-in cellulose fiber insulation is relatively inexpensive and can be installed by homeowners with average do-it yourselfer skills. However make sure any light fixtures or electrical connections are rated for IC (In Contact) with insulation or properly sealed off to prevent fire. Don't forget soffitt baffles for ventilation of unheated space to prevent mold. Home Depot provides a free insulation blower with the purchase of a certain amount of insulation and have a chart for easy calculation of material. House heaters should be Energy Star rated for efficiency, be properly sized for your building, and be installed by a licensed contractor. Wrap heating ducts (insulate).Homeowners can put in a programmable thermostat set to 68 F daytime and 62 F nighttime temp. Install a fiberglass water heater blanket and wrap (insulate) hot water supply lines. With these improvements you can realize up to 30% lower utility bills during heating AND cooling seasons. One last word of advice, when super insulating a house, Air-Changes per Hour (ACH) can be reduced to a level that makes indoor air quality a concern; so you may want to consider an Air-to-Air heat exchanger.
Find sources of air leaks in your home. Areas such as windows and doors, attic access hatch, etc. Seal off leaking windows with plastic or upgrade to a minimum of double pane glass. Add weather stripping to doors and your attic access. I would say to leave your furnace operate on and off by thermostat as it was intended, in order to run efficiently. A fan that runs constant will add to your costs. Have your furnace serviced regularly and change filters.
