Heating your home expends more energy and costs more money than any other system in your home and normally totals around 30 percent of your utility bill. Yes, heating your home in the winter can be pricey, but you’re possibly overlooking several stress-free ways to cut your heating bills.
Even the most well-run homes can squander astounding sums of energy without anyone recognizing it. Identifying the leading culprits can not only lessen your utility bills but shrink your carbon footprint at one fell swoop.
AC&R Services, located at 217 Turkey Path Road in Sugarloaf, PA, invite you to explore these common heating tips so you can make all your upgrades quickly without any difficulty.
Seal ductwork
This is possibly the best way to begin to save energy. Make certain that all ductwork is sealed at joints and intersections with duct sealer or silicone caulking. If not, ductwork can leak heated air into the attic or crawlspace, and outside air can be pulled into the return ductwork, boosting costs and noticeably lowering comfort.
Change furnace filters every month
The experts at AC&R Services have told you quite often in previous blogs, but it always bears repeating. Dirty filters are a huge reason for a furnace failure. Check your furnace air filters once a month throughout the heating season. If they are clogged, clean or replace them with new filters. You’ll not only save money but help protect your furnace from possible breakdowns.
Should it come time to replace your natural gas furnace, think about a new high efficiency gas furnace. Modern gas heating systems are as much as 30 percent more energy efficient.
Weatherstrip doors and windows
If you’re pondering on how to cut back on those utility bills in winter, sealing out drafts is one more great place to start. Your doors and windows can leak out more heat than you might think, but you can put a quick stop to it by installing weatherstripping around them. In addition, door sweeps will help seal the space between the door’s bottom and the door frame. Even draft stoppers can provide you with another degree of protection from the cold. EPA modeling demonstrates that air-sealing and increasing insulation can cut heating and cooling costs by around 15 percent on average.
Address attic insulation
The upper level of your house can be a notorious source of heat loss since, in winter, warm air ascends in what is called the stack effect. So, according to the folks at AC&R Services, making certain that warm air arising from living spaces doesn’t leak into the attic is important.
Take a close look at your attic. If your insulation is uneven or it’s below or just level with the floor joists, you most likely need to add more of it, according to the Energy Star program. The amount of insulation considered as “ideal” hinges on what is already there and the type of insulation you decide on.
It’s probably best to hire a qualified insulator or air sealing contractor for this, as attics and insulation material can make for demanding work.
Switch to a smart thermostat
Smart thermostats have transformed the way we manage indoor temperatures. These mechanisms actually “learn” your heating patterns and preferences, leading to clear-cut temperature control. A number of models even adjust to the outside weather, enhancing energy usage. By installing a smart thermostat, homeowners can experience both greater comfort and a significant decrease in energy consumption.
More to the point, you can program your smart thermostat to turn down while you’re sleeping or when you’re out of the house and then set it to warm up just prior to your arrival back home at day’s end.
The bottom line: You can reduce your utility bills in winter without sacrificing comfort.
Interested? Just contact the professionals at AC&R Services for complete details on programmable thermostats.
Adjust your water heater’s temperature
Your hot water heater just could be squandering more energy than you appreciate, particularly if it’s an outdated unit. Today’s energy-efficient water heaters can actually pay for themselves rapidly with the energy they save. For most homeowners, maintaining a temperature set at 120 degrees delivers an abundance of hot water. DOE estimates that taking down the water heater thermostat from 140 degrees to 120 degrees can cut the use of water heating energy by as much as 20 percent each year.
Behavioral changes
Simple lifestyle modifications can be a nifty, yet easy way to save energy. AC&R Services experts ask that you think about implementing the following practices to produce a more energy-efficient home during the winter months.
- Curtains and drapes: Make use of curtains and drapes to help regulate the heat. Open them when the sun is shining to let nature’s warmth into your home and close them at night to reduce heat loss out of your windows.
- Dressing warmly: Dress in warmer clothing indoors to allow you to adjust the thermostat a few degrees lower without forfeiting comfort. Comfy sweaters, socks and blankets can make a significant change in your awareness of warmth.
- Mindful energy use: Be mindful of needless heat loss by keeping doors closed when the heating system is running. This simple habit blocks warm air from escaping and cold air from coming into your home.
Zoning systems
Employing zoning systems in your home can boost your heating system’s efficiency by letting you control the temperature in certain individual areas. This is especially beneficial in bigger homes or those with several levels, where various spaces have different heating needs.
By employing smart thermostats to deal with different zones, you can make sure that only the inhabited spaces are being heated, cutting energy usage and costs.
Zoning systems can also deliver better comfort, since you can alter the temperature setting for each zone in your house.
Want more information on zoning systems? Simply contact the folks at AC&R Services at your earliest convenience.
Regular maintenance and servicing
Routine maintenance and service of your heating system are crucial to help ensure its peak performance and efficiency. Schedule semi-annual HVAC system check-ups with AC&R Services at 217 Turkey Path Road in Sugarloaf, PA to detect and address any would-be issues before they become major concerns. During these check-ups, an AC&R Services professional technician will inspect and clean a variety of components, check for leaks and ensure everything is working as intended.
By keeping your heating system well-maintained, you can prolong its lifecycle, enhance its efficiency and cut your energy bills.