Why Are My Heating Expenses So High? 

It’s no secret that the cost of living is going up.

But rising costs might not be the only culprit behind your high heating expenses. Energy efficiency issues within your home could be secretly driving up your energy usage and costing you money!

In this guide, we break down the most common causes of high heating expenses and how you can solve them with targeted energy efficiency improvements. Many of these upgrades qualify for Mass Save rebates and incentives—schedule a no-cost Home Energy Assessment to learn more. 

You Need Better Insulation 

Insulation is one of the most important components of an energy efficient home. It keeps your home warm in the winter by holding heat in and helps it stay cool in the summer by blocking heat out. 

During the winter, heat will escape your house by conducting through poorly insulated walls, floors, and ceilings. Your heating system will have to work harder to keep up with the constant heat loss, leading to higher energy usage and increased expenses. 

Around 90% of houses in the United States are underinsulated, and if you’ve never updated your insulation, you probably don’t have enough. Other issues, like moisture, pests, and compression or depression of insulation can render it ineffective. 

The Sponsors of Mass Save offer no-cost Home Energy Assessments to evaluate your insulation and determine whether you need an upgrade. You may qualify for 75-100% off your insulation upgrade with Mass Save rebates! You can also save up to $1,200 on insulation materials with the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit.

You Have a Lot of Air Leaks 

Most houses are not airtight. Instead, they are riddled with small cracks and openings in various locations—typically around doors and windows, attic hatches, utility connections, basement rim joists, and anywhere two materials are joined together.

These air leaks allow air (and the heat it carries) to move into and out of your home freely. In the winter, air leaks allow heated air to be sucked right out of your home. 

To prevent this from happening, you need to locate and close up all the air leaks in your home. This is done through a process called air sealing. Small air leaks can be sealed with caulk or weatherstripping while larger leaks will require more intensive materials, such as spray foam insulation and/or foam board.

Insulation and air sealing work best together. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, you can save an average of 15% on your heating and cooling expenses by air sealing your home and adding insulation to your attic, the floor over your crawl space, and any accessible basement rim joists. 

The Sponsors of Mass Save offer no-cost air sealing to Massachusetts residents! Schedule a no-cost Mass Save Home Energy Assessment to learn more.

You Have an Inefficient Heating System 

If your heating system is old or inefficient, it could be costing you money every month. Inefficient heating systems use more energy to heat your home than their energy efficient counterparts do. Replacing your heating system with a modern, ENERGY STAR rated heating system can reduce your energy consumption and save you money. 

There are many types of energy efficient heating systems, and a lot of them qualify for Mass Save heating rebates. Among these are heat pump heating and cooling systems. Heat pumps work by moving heat where it’s needed instead of creating it by burning fuel. This is a much more efficient process that can lead to lower energy consumption. 

Heat pumps are eligible for Mass Save rebates up to $10,000! Heat pump installation is also eligible for a federal tax credit worth up to $2,000. Schedule your no-cost Home Energy Assessment to learn more. 

Get Help with High Heating Expenses 

Making energy efficient home improvements is one of the most effective ways to reduce your energy consumption and save money on your heating expenses. Neeeco is a local home efficiency expert with many years of experience helping Massachusetts residents upgrade their insulation, air sealing, heating and cooling systems, and more. We’ve partnered with the Sponsors of Mass Save to help our customers take advantage of Mass Save rebates, which make it more affordable to improve your home’s energy efficiency.