How-To Save Money in Your Home: Use a Fireplace to Save Money
In my previous home we use to have a gas burning fireplace which served us well. That is, until the gas bill was due at the end of each month. Our normal gas bill costs were usually double compared to what they were during the warmer months earlier in the year.
Though using our gas fireplace was cheaper than using central heat to warm up the house, I found another way to heat the home that is even less expensive than using a gas burning fireplace. When we moved, we made a mandatory requirement that we would get a home that had at least one wood burning fireplace rather than a gas burning fireplace. Now that we have multiple wood burning fireplaces, all we do is order two or more cords of firewood every year and safely chop and burn the wood for the house’s primary heating source rather than using electricity to power our central heating unit.
You might also consider to remember and close the fireplace damper to your wood burning fireplace or even a gas burning fireplace. By remembering to close the fireplace damper after there is no more heat, no more burning wood, no more fire, and no more smoke, then closing the fireplace damper will help to prevent the warm air that is already in your home from escaping up through the fireplace chimney and out of the home. The fireplace acts like a vacuum, sucking in air to replace the oxygen the fireplace is burning. Aside from a higher electric bill from your central heating unit turning on to warm your home, you will want to make sure to only close the fireplace damper when there is no more heat, no more burning wood, no more fire, and no more smoke otherwise you run the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Calling your local fire department and professional fireplace and chimney companies should be able to give you more helpful tips on the proper way to safely operate your fireplace, while at the same time, hopefully trying to save you some money.
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