Energy Saving Tips
While home energy costs are a fact of life, homeowners should know that there are steps that can be taken which can dramatically reduce energy costs and of course save significant amounts of money. Unfortunately most homeowners are unaware of how small upgrades can lead to big savings. The following energy saving tips can ensure you get the most out of your home heating and air conditioning systems.
Home Energy Audits
The best way to save energy is to start with a home energy audit. A home energy assessment determines your home’s overall energy usage, the efficiency levels of your current heating and cooling system, and the places where you could improve energy efficiency within the home. One of the main reasons to get a home energy assessment is to locate all the places where your home loses warm or cool air. You’ll also get ideas on how to conserve electricity and hot water. While many homeowners can assess their energy usage to some extent on their own, it is best to get a professional energy audit to get the most comprehensive energy assessment. A professional energy auditor is equipped and skilled at various techniques to best calculate the overall efficiency of your home. Blower doors and infrared cameras are often used to locate places that need improvement and that can’t be found in a basic assessment by the homeowner.
High Efficiency Furnaces & Heat Pumps
If you have an old single-stage furnace, it is time to upgrade. These furnaces were designed to run on two settings—either off or on, and when they are on, they run at full speed. Not only do they lose heat this way, but they also take longer to warm up your home. The new two-speed and multispeed models run at lower speeds to maintain a constant temperature. You can also buy furnaces with variable-speed blowers that operate on various speeds, which are the most efficient. Heat pumps are a good option if you need both heat and AC in your home. While most heat pumps are manufactured to be efficient by design, the newer models are the most efficient way to heat and cool your home. If you have a heat pump older than 15 years, talk to an HVAC technician about how you might be able to save by having a new heat pump installed today.
Home Insulation
Before you decide to upgrade to a new high-efficiency heating and cooling system, you should always make sure your home has the right amount of insulation to help make the system replacement more cost-effective. Once you’ve had a home energy audit, you may find that your home could benefit from better insulation. Insulating recessed light fixtures, electrical outlets, and water heaters are a few minor steps that can be taken to improve home energy efficiency.
While it is relatively easy to add insulation around electrical wiring and fixtures—where you can lose a lot of energy—you have to be extremely cautious about what type of insulation you use around electrical applications. Check with the manufacturer, or call an specialist if you aren’t sure what type of insulation to use. When you add insulation or seal your home more tightly, you may also want to consider upgrading leaky doors and windows with ones that have double-paned glass. You can also install storm windows and doors to help seal all of your entryways.
Feel free to call us whenever you have questions about lowering your energy costs.
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