The 4 free fixes (do these today)
1. Bleed your radiators
Trapped air reduces heat transfer efficiency. 10 minutes per radiator. Typical savings: 3-8% over heating season. See how-to guide.
2. Close unused vents and dampers
Forced-air systems: close vents in unused rooms (but leave doors open so air can circulate back). Hydronic systems: close TRVs or zone valves on unused rooms.
3. Reverse ceiling fans
Counter-clockwise when looking up = pushes warm air down from the ceiling. 2-5% savings in rooms with high ceilings.
4. Open south-facing curtains during the day
Free solar heat. Close them at sunset to retain heat. Particularly valuable in Utah's high solar-input climate.
3 cheap fixes ($50-$300, pay back fast)
5. Weatherstripping ($30-$80)
Replace door and window weatherstripping. Cuts air infiltration significantly. Typical savings: 5-10%.
6. Attic insulation top-up ($150-$300 DIY)
If your attic insulation is below R-30, adding to R-49 (Utah recommended) saves real money. DIY installable; rolls or blown-in. Typical savings: 8-15% on heating costs.
7. Smart thermostat ($120-$280)
Programmable schedules align heat with occupancy. Ecobee, Nest, or similar. 5-12% savings without sacrificing comfort.
1 bigger investment ($800-$3,000)
8. Replace or service your boiler
If your boiler is 15+ years old running 80% AFUE, replacing with a modern 95%+ mod-con drops gas usage 15-18%. On $1,800/year heating bills, $270-$324/year saved. Combined with the items above, total savings can hit 30%.
Not ready to replace? Annual professional maintenance ($269-$329) typically recovers 5-10% efficiency on a tuned boiler vs one that's drifted. Pays for itself plus savings.
Best ROI order to tackle them
- Bleed radiators (free, 10 min, immediate)
- Weatherstripping ($50, 1 hour, big impact)
- Smart thermostat ($200, 1 hour install, schedule-based savings)
- Attic insulation top-up ($300, half day DIY, big winter)
- Annual boiler maintenance ($269, scheduled, efficiency + reliability)
- Close unused vents/zones (free, ongoing)
- Reverse ceiling fans (free)
- Open south-facing curtains (free)
Boiler replacement isn't on this list because it's only worth doing if your existing boiler is at end of life. See 9 signs to replace.