As the cold weather hits, experts are sharing tips on how to shore up your home to not see a steep increase in your heating bill.
According to state data, Connecticut has one of the most expensive monthly energy rates in the nation, with the monthly average being $166 for electricity, $76 for heating oil, and $39 for natural gas.
Brian Drouin, an HVAC technician for Aiello Home Services, has some tips for homeowners.
“The cleaner your boilers, the cleaner your filters, the cleaner your systems. They run longer, less breakdowns, insulation,” he explained. “Newer windows in the house is big. Anything you can do to seal up energy loss to outside is going to make a huge difference on your fuel bill.”
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He said it’s important to do year-round maintenance on your heating system and make sure your home is properly sealed up to prevent drafts.
“Anything you can do to stop any incoming drafts in your house is gonna make a huge difference, not only on your comfort but your wallet as well,” he added.
When it comes to your wallet, organizations like the Connecticut Association for Community Action can help. They connect people to funding through the state’s energy assistance program.
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“The cost of everything has gone up, right? And so very frequently, people are having to make difficult choices about 'do I heat my house? Do I buy groceries? Do I get my meds, my medicine?' Those types of things. So, Community Action agencies are able to assist customers who come in and to apply to try to help them, to give them some support towards meeting their energy costs,” said Rhonda Evans, executive director of CAFCA.
The assistance program is accepting applications for this winter season. You can apply online, or connect with a community action program in your area.
“It's a possible resource for any income eligible citizen of the state of Connecticut, and we want to encourage people to apply to possibly receive this this helpful benefit. To take some of the stressors off around the cost of heating your home,” Evans added. “I think it that the energy assistance program can just help families take some of the stress off during the winter season when it's cold and there's so many other things that families need to be concerned about.”
