View SpecialsYou shouldn’t have to choose between keeping comfortable year-round or maintaining a tight budget. Achieve both simultaneously by following this checklist of home energy saving tips:
The Biggest Utility User
If your home has central air conditioning, the AC unit is your home’s biggest consumer of electricity. Although it’s only used a few months out of the year, its annual electricity cost is the highest in your home. Increase your home energy savings by first addressing any efficiency issues with your air conditioner.
Use Your Thermostat
Programming your thermostat correctly lets you maximize your home’s energy efficiency without compromising on comfort. Ensure you’re using your thermostat most effectively and you’ll see the difference on your utility bills.
Insulate Well
Just because heat rises don’t mean you should only insulate your attic. With insulation, everything in your home matters. Form an effective air barrier around your home by installing energy-efficient windows and insulating exterior walls and floors over basements or crawlspaces. In general, insulation is much more cost-effective than upgrading your furnace or air conditioner.
Regular Tune-ups
Consistent maintenance and cleaning of your HVAC units makes a difference of around 10%-25% in energy savings every year. By keeping your furnace, AC or heat pump clean, clear of debris and well maintained, your budget sees a difference of smaller bills and more time between full HVAC unit replacements.
Don’t Forget Fans
In the cooling season, use ceiling and portable fans to improve your comfort and circulate more air in your house. Increasing airflow makes your home feel cooler and allows you to raise your thermostat setting – meaning less electricity-guzzling from your AC unit.
Pay Attention to Ducts
Your HVAC professional should ensure that air leakage is less than 10% of your system’s airflow. Air leakage of 5% or less is possible with careful workmanship. Also, avoid using building cavities as ducts since they are more likely to leak and incur extra energy costs. For ducts that must be located in an attic or crawl space, confirm that they are insulated to level R-8 to minimize leakage of air or energy.
Look at The Sticker
When buying a new HVAC unit (whether furnace, heat pump or air conditioner), look for an Energy Star® label. The Energy Star® program is co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and it ensures that your HVAC unit meets or exceeds standards for home energy savings.
Consider A Smaller Unit
One major energy-saving mistake many homeowners make is buying an HVAC unit that’s too large for their home. A unit that’s too big costs more to run, maintain and service. Furthermore, if you implement the energy saving tips mentioned above, you are able to purchase a smaller-capacity HVAC unit, which reduces your upfront purchase price.
Overall, saving money through home energy efficiency is possible without compromising on your comfort. While some of these HVAC efficiency tips may seem costly at first, their long-term payoff returns your initial investment many times over. In the end, you save on utility bills, and you maintain the home comfort level you desire.
Want to save more money through home energy efficiency? Click below to contact a Comfort Consultant from On Time Experts and start saving money on your utility bills today.
