Winters can be rough in northern Minnesota and they can be especially hard on your heating bill. Did you know that there are things that you can do to reduce it?
First let’s help you actually understand your heating bill!
How to read your Minnesota heating bill
According to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, there are three different components that go into how much your heating bill will cost month over month. These three things include:
1. Fixed Charge: a set amount billed to each meter each month
2. Energy Charge: an amount that changes based on how much energy you use
3. Surcharges: taxes, fuel adjustments, riders, etc. Surcharges may be based on actual consumption or your demand level.
The one that we’re going to focus on for the rest of the blog is item #2!
How to lower your heating bill
It might seem like your heating bill “is what it is” and there isn’t much to be done about it. However, that line of thinking would be wrong—unless you’ve already done everything you can possibly do to lower it. If you haven’t, here are some suggestions:
- Keep your blinds closed on the cloudy days and open on the sunny ones – sun helps to let in natural heat
- Set your thermostat to lower settings at night and when you’re away from home
- Get a smart thermostat to keep you on a regular schedule
- Keep vents closed and doors shut to rooms that you don’t typically use
- Get new home insulation (bonus points if you choose to install spray foam insulation)
How does insulation work in the winter?
Drafts like to bring cool air in and suck the warm air out. Whether that’s through doors, windows, pipes, or the walls directly, without proper insulation, keeping your house warm in the dead of winter might feel like a losing battle.
Spray foam insulation specifically does an amazing job at getting in every single nook and cranny that cold air might want to sneak in through. Because it goes on liquid, expands, and hardens, it’s one of the most versatile insulation materials you can use. It can be “applied as high, medium, or low-density (depending on your needs),” and is can be “used in attics, walls, ceilings, basements, and crawlspaces, and on roofs, exteriors, and gaps and cracks!” Read more about spray foam insulation here.
Other benefits of spray foam insulation
On top of doing an excellent job at keeping your home warm throughout the winter months, spray foam also:
- Keeps your home cool in the warmer months
- Strengthens the structural integrity of your home
- Helps to prevent freezing pipes
- Works to keep moisture out of your home (preventing the growth of mold and other fungi)
Ready to get started?
You don’t need to wait for winter to be over to reinsulate your home! Contact us today to talk more about saying goodbye to your cold, drafty house.
