You use more energy in your home for heating and cooling
than anything else. Here are some basic tips that can help you stay comfortable
and lower energy costs:
Ducts can be
a particularly energy expensive problem. Check them out.
Keep heating and air conditioning
filters clean. It's difficult to force air through dirty filters. It takes
more energy and can raise your energy bills.
Keep your thermostat set on 78°
in summer and 68° in winter. For every degree you raise or lower the setting,
you can see a difference of up to 3% in energy costs.
If you have a furnace, you
can save money by lowering your thermostat 5° before you go to bed at night.
When no one is home, set it back to 55° degrees. The more often you can
set back the temperature for 8 hours or longer, the more energy and money
you'll save.
If you have a heat pump,
do not set your thermostat back during heating season. Just find a comfortable
setting and leave it there. Lowering the setting on a heat pump system will
cause the backup heat to come on when it's raised in the morning. Backup heat
uses a lot more energy than the normal heat mode, meaning you'll waste more
energy than you may have saved during the night.
Protect your thermostat from drafts
so your heating system turns on only when you need extra warmth.
Consider a programmable thermostat. It can be set to automatically lower the temperature
at bedtime and raise it again in the morning. If you have a heat pump, select
an automatic setback thermostat specifically designed to work with heat pump
systems.
Schedule annual maintenance check-ups
for your heating and cooling systems. By keeping your system in optimal working
condition, you'll not only reduce energy costs, but extend your system's service
life.
Trim or remove grass, weeds, leaves,
etc. from around the outdoor unit of your heating or cooling system. When
airflow is blocked, it puts a strain on the system and lowers efficiency.
Shade room air-conditioners from
direct sun to reduce their workload. Clean the filters once a month and replace
them as necessary to promote energy efficiency. Raise the setting when you
go out to reduce operating costs.
Ductwork. Who even thinks about it?
It's easy to forget about things you can't see. But what you can't see can be
costing you big bucks.
Improperly designed or installed
duct systems can decrease comfort, jeopardize indoor air quality, and increase
operating costs. Even small holes or loose seals in ductwork can account for
as much as 30% in lost energy.
Some common ductwork problems include
uninsulated ducts through attics or vented crawlspace areas, ducts with holes
or ducts that are disconnected or crushed. You may also find some ducts that
lead nowhere, or duct joints that leak air through unsealed joints. Some home
systems are not equipped with return ducts and the imbalance in air pressure
can substantially increase costs of operation.
There's a lot more to duct repair
work than slapping on some duct tape, though. It's delicate, precise work
best left to your heating and cooling professional.
The easiest way to keep your duct
system in check is simply to have your heating and cooling contractor give
it a thorough inspection as part of your heating and cooling system's annual
checkup.
