News Edition
Something many homeowners dread is the act of checking their electric bill, especially in the middle of summer or winter. It’s very easy for your electric bill to jump through the use of appliances and trying to keep your home at a reasonable temperature. If your bill remains high month after month, you may be considering an expensive solution. However, you may not need to jump to an expensive air conditioning repair just yet. There are a few simple (and less expensive) things you can do to try and get that cost down.
Seal Any Air Leaks to Improve Insulation
For a majority of households, the HVAC system is the largest expense when it comes to the energy your home uses. Your system has to work over time to keep your house the right temperature if your home isn’t properly insulated (especially in the height of summer heat or winter freeze). Take a walk around the perimeter of your home, both inside and outside. Check your windows for any cracked moulding or gaps in the window pane itself. Make sure your exterior doors all close properly with no gaps at the top or bottom for air to escape through. These are simple fixes that take some stress off your HVAC system and the power grid in general.
Use the Sun to Your Advantage (or Keep It Out)
Since you want to make sure your HVAC system works as little as possible, the sun is going to be your biggest helper and biggest concern, depending on the time of year. In the winter, make sure you keep your blinds open during the day and let the sunlight keep your home warm. During the summer, keep those blinds shut during the heat of the day, so you can keep your home as cool as possible. Obviously it’s not a perfect solution, but the sun (or lack of sun) can help ease some of the strain your HVAC system experiences during the extreme temperatures.
Invest in a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat is another way to help ease that strain. If there’s no living being in your home for a significant period of time throughout the day, bump the thermostat up or down a few degrees to make it easier for the system to keep your home at that temperature. You can set this on a timer, so the temperature changes automatically after you leave for the day and returns to what you want it to be before you step through the door after work. This way you’ll make your home more energy efficient without it affecting how you live.
Change How You Use Your Appliances
Outside of your HVAC system, your appliances are your next biggest drain on your home’s energy. While these appliances are incredibly useful, there are ways to use them in a more conservative way. When it comes to your dishwasher, only run a load once it’s full. That will save both energy and water when it comes to running the dishwasher more than normal.
The other big area to change your appliance usage is while you’re doing laundry. Running the washer on warm takes a significant amount of energy (primarily from the water heater). These days, detergents are chemically designed to get the same degree of cleanliness in a cold water wash compared to a warm water wash, so you can be more energy efficient without sacrificing your clothes. Similarly, dryers take up a lot of energy, so consider air drying your clothes when you can.
Replace Old Appliances With Energy Efficient Ones
The last, and most expensive way, to make your home more energy efficient is to switch out your old appliances for ones more energy efficient. Between technology advancements and how machines age, appliances that are over a decade old aren’t doing their best work. It’s time to upgrade to the newer models (if you have the budget for it).
Look for ENERGY STAR certified appliances when you’re shopping. Those are items that have proven to be the best for energy efficiency by a third-party government agency. That guideline will help you choose the best energy-efficient appliances for you.
