Keeping a home warm in the winter months gets expensive quickly. Whether you use central heating or space heaters, keeping warm air in your home increases your energy bill as well as your impact on the energy grid in your neighborhood. When the air is dry in your house, heat is even less likely to stick around for the long term, so you may feel like to need to run a heater nearly around the clock. Fortunately, there is a way to keep your home warm without paying an arm and a leg in energy costs. By using humidifiers in the rooms you use the most, such as your bedroom and living room, the air will become more moist and can retain heat for a longer period of time.

How Humidifiers Work

Humidifiers, as their name suggests, add moisture to the air. These relatively inexpensive machines can pump moisture into your home via several different methods, including steam and warm mist. Some larger central air and heating systems have a humidifier built in, but you can also purchase one on its own at a home goods store. You typically fill a basin in the machine with water, plug the humidifier into an electrical outlet, and then wait for it to convert the water into a light mist or steam that naturally rises in the room. The humidifier may work on a timer, or until you manually turn it off.

How Much Difference Will a Humidifier Make?

Your humidifier will make it possible to run your heater less often, or turn your thermostat down by a few degrees. Keeping your thermostat turned down can mean significant savings. According to at least one survey, if you heat your home to 72 degrees Fahrenheit, turning the thermostat down to 65 degrees will reduce the amount of energy your heater consumes by more than 25 percent. Without a humidifier, you will definitely feel the temperature difference. A humidifier can temper the cooled room by holding on to the heat that does exist. Since the humidifier will only cost you a few dollars each month to run, it will more than pay for itself via your reduced heating costs.

Other Benefits

In addition to saving you money on your energy consumption, a humidifier has health benefits. If you suffer from dry skin, dry sinuses, or a sore throat as the result of breathing dry air – a humidifier can offer relief. Allergy sufferers and asthmatics can particularly benefit from the moist air created by using a humidifier on a daily basis. Dry air is also known to damage wood furniture and flooring in a home, so keeping the air moist can keep your home furnishings in better condition than if you just continue to heat the dry air that’s currently circulating.

How Much is Too Much?

Just like you don’t want the air in your home to be too dry, creating an atmosphere that is too damp introduces its own host of problems. A home that is too moist may be more likely to develop mold or mildew issues, as these thrive in damp conditions. Dust mites also do better in moist conditions than dry ones. To combat these problems, many humidifiers cleanse the water before releasing it into the air. Pure water is less likely to stimulate mold or mildew in your home. You should find a way to measure the humidity level in your home to make sure it doesn’t rise too high. Some humidifier models will do this for you, or you purchase a separate humidity gauge. Ideally, the humidity in your home should not exceed 40 to 50 percent.