Year-Round Conservation Tips

At one point or another, we have all had to deal with an astronomical energy bill.

To avoid this from happening again, many people compensate by living in an uncomfortable environment when the temperatures are extreme. After all, no one wants to pay more than they have to on their home heating and cooling costs.

Fortunately, there are many techniques that homeowners can use to help reduce those costs while staying comfortable at the same time. In this article, we will discuss some methods that you can implement in your own home to prevent those bills from skyrocketing.

Energy-Saving Tips That Homeowners Can Use For Every Season

Useful HVAC Tips To Promote Energy Efficiency

Install A Digital Programmable Thermostat: A modern thermostat puts your heating and air conditioning systems on an automatic schedule: full heat or cooling during hours when the home is active, and less when the house is empty, or the family is asleep. The U.S. Department of Energy says that setting back a home’s temperature by 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day can reduce total heating and cooling costs by 3 to 5%.
Insulate Your Home Properly: Insulate thoroughly to eliminate heat transfer through your walls, ceilings, and floors. You could reduce your heating and air conditioning costs by as much as 15%, according to Consumer Energy Council of America. Close off rooms you don’t use – and remember to shut the vents inside.

Check For Drafts: As much as 40% of your heating and cooling costs can be due to air leaks. Check weather-stripping and door sweeps at least once a year and repair or replace them as needed. Add caulking and weather-stripping around doors, attic access, windows, outdoor faucets and any areas where there might be leaks. Check caulking at least once a year and replace material that has dried out and shrunk. Repair and weatherize your storm windows. Also, to help conserve energy, you can install rubber gaskets behind outlets and switch plates on exterior walls to prevent cold air from leaking in.

Ductwork: Keep ductwork in good condition by sealing leaks with mastic, metal-backed tape (not duct tape). Your home could be losing up to 25% of its heated or cooled air before it reaches the vents!

How To Increase Water Heating Efficiency In Your Home

Water Heater: You should reduce your water heater’s temperature setting to 120 degrees F to save fuel. You’ll also reduce the risk of scalding. Water heating accounts for a significant portion of your overall energy costs. Therefore, reducing your water heater’s temperature will help you keep your money in the bank. You can also install water-conserving fixtures such as showerheads, faucets, and toilets to accomplish a more energy-saving home further.

Water Leaks: You may not realize how much water is wasted when you have a leaking faucet. Be sure to fix leaky faucets, especially hot water faucets. One drop per second can add up to 165 gallons per month – more than a person uses in two weeks. When you have a leaking faucet, it is genuinely money going down the drain.

Bathing: Use a bath as an occasional treat instead of a daily routine. Showers use much less water than baths. Therefore, to save energy, take showers instead of baths. A five-minute shower will use about 7.5 gallons of hot water; filling a bathtub can use up to 20 gallons.

Laundry: Use less water and use cooler water when doing laundry. The warm or cold water setting on your machine will generally do an excellent job of cleaning your clothes. Switching your temperature setting from hot to warm can cut a load’s energy use in half. Also, you should consider air-drying clothes on clothes lines or drying racks. Clothing manufacturers recommend air-drying for some fabrics.

Best Way To Use Your Appliances To Conserve Energy

Update Your Appliances: New appliances are far more energy efficient than older models. Therefore, you should replace old devices with high-efficiency units to reduce energy consumption.

Refrigerator Settings: Use efficient temperature settings for your refrigerator and freezer. Recommended temperatures are 37 to 40 degrees F for the refrigerator and 5 degrees F for the freezer.

Additional Tips: Also, don’t leave the fridge door open! Every time you do, up to 30% of the air inside can escape. The same can be said for your oven. Use a covered kettle or pan to boil water; it’s faster and uses less energy. Install ceiling fans. They could cut your energy bill for cooling by 40%.

Are You Using Your Light Bulbs Effectively?

Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which use only 25% as much energy and last ten times as long. Install dimmer switches. In addition to enhancing the mood, they’ll extend the life of your bulbs and help you save up to 60% on your lighting costs. You should also consider installing motion-activated switches that automatically turn lights on and off.

 

Conclusion

Hart Home Comfort offers superior HVAC services and fuel deliveries to both residential and commercial properties in Nassau County, Suffolk County, and Queens, New York.

We have been in the industry for well over thirty years and since our beginning, we have made it our priority to deliver high-quality home comfort services that our customers have come to count on.

For any questions about what Hart Home Comfort can do for you, give us a call today.

Click here to contact us now or call us at (631) 667-3200 to find out more!