As the days start to get shorter and the weather starts to get cooler, homeowners tend to spend more time inside their homes. Snuggling up on the couch instead of braving the cold sounds like a good idea… until you get your energy bill. These extra costs seem to creep up during heating season with no warning.
Fortunately, there are things that can be done to save energy and cut costs, all while ensuring homes remain comfortable. These significant factors below play a crucial role in energy savings this heating season.
Searching your home for leaks and drafts is important when it comes to saving energy and heat. Leaks can be found around windows, doors, ductwork, or pipes in your home. When hot air is slowly seeping out of your home, it’s more difficult to achieve a comfortable temperature in the room of choice. Not only that, your equipment has to work twice as hard to heat your home. Double the work means double the energy bill.
Early on in the season when the weather is still mostly sunny, or on those glorious warm winter days, open up your curtains and let the light in. Allowing your home to be naturally heated by sunlight will help you save on your heating bills while giving you an extra boost of vitamin d during the dreary winter months.
Everyone knows that being on top of perfecting your thermostat settings is one of the best ways to save energy and cut costs. First and foremost, if you do not have a smart thermostat in your home, we suggest investing in one. Being able to program your smart thermostat based on certain times of days and certain temperatures in various rooms of your home is essential to energy conservation. The Department of Energy estimates that homeowners can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by turning their thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting.
Ensuring your heating (and cooling) system gets proper maintenance throughout the year is vital to guarantee years of maximum performance. Not only that, but a well maintained system will properly heat your home. It’s as easy as having an HVAC professional contractor home to your home for routine maintenance tune-ups. While at your home, the contractor can change out dirty filters, replace faulty parts, as well as catch issues with your system early. Read our latest blog on the most important general maintenance tips for your heating and cooling system.
Going around your home to do a quick check of your registers and vents could be an easy way to save energy this winter. Things like rugs, couches, lamps, beds, dressers etc. can sometimes be placed on top of registers and vents. In addition, sometimes registers and vents end up being closed unknowingly by a family member throughout the year. Being closed obstructs airflow and does not allow the room to reach the desired temperature. Because of this, homeowners tend to turn the thermostat up even more, resulting in unnecessary use of energy and additional work from your heating system. Additional work, in turn, puts extra strain on your ductwork. Check out our previous blog post on how opening and closing registers can cost you money.
Believe it or not, being mindful of the temperature of your water heater could play a key role in energy savings this heating season. Water heating systems account for a surprising 20% of a home’s energy use. (www.energy.gov) According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, turning your water heater down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit can cut your water heating costs by 6-10 percent.
If you have existing ductwork in your home, you may be a candidate for an Arzel Zoning system. Our industry-leading HVAC zoning products have been known to reduce energy usage while providing unmatched comfort inside homes. Learn more about our product or find an Arzel approved HVAC professional contractor in your area today!
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