You may be feeling the financial pinch at the moment and looking for ways you can cut down on your monthly expenses. Consider taking steps to make your home more energy-efficient. Not only can this cut down on your energy bills but it also helps to reduce your carbon footprint, which is good for the environment. Some of the following tips involve major projects, while others are relatively simple measures that you can accomplish with a minimum of effort.
- Add Insulation
Spray foam insulation Maryland helps to seal any air leaks and prevent heat exchange between the interior and exterior of the house. When more heat remains in the house rather than seeping outdoors where it is lost, your house stays warmer, your furnace runs less often, and you burn less fuel. Ultimately, this means lower heating bills and fewer emissions.
- Install a Ceiling Fan
Ceiling fans do not change the temperature of a room. Instead, they cause the air to circulate around the space. When you run your heater in the winter, the hot air rises to the ceiling, but a fan can help to redirect it down toward the ground where it can do the most good. During the summer, the circulating air also makes a room feel more comfortable and uses a lot less energy compared to running the air conditioner.
- Remove Dust
It may seem harmless enough, but if you’re looking to lower your energy bills, dust is one of your worst enemies. Dust buildup can cause certain appliances to run less efficiently or even break down altogether. You should clean your HVAC air intakes, refrigerator coils, and dryer lint traps frequently. Change your furnace filter according to the manufacturer’s recommendations or clean it every few months if it is reusable.
- Think Small When Cooking
Try to use your oven for cooking only when necessary. It uses a lot more energy compared to a toaster oven, microwave, or other smaller appliance. In the summer, it can also raise the temperature in the house, which means your air conditioner has to work harder to keep you comfortable.
- Consider Zoned Heating and Cooling
A zoned system has different thermostats in different areas of the house. This means that you can direct the heat or air conditioning specifically to the area that needs it while not changing the temperature in unoccupied areas of the house. You can get zoning as part of an entirely new HVAC system, but you don’t necessarily have to. It may be possible to upgrade your existing system to include zoning.
Infographic provided by Blue Dot, a water heater service company