The pattern always seems to be this: as temperatures drop, your energy expenses increase. It’s definitely important to keep your home’s interior warm, but there are some techniques you can use to decrease energy consumption and monthly costs. Here are a few of the most useful techniques.
- Have your HVAC system serviced: Preventive maintenance on your heating system will improve the equipment’s performance and help restore efficiency. A furnace or heat pump that has been properly maintained will be more energy efficient and use less energy to produce heat, which reduces costs. Contact your HVAC professional for a maintenance appointment in the fall.
- Lower the thermostat settings: Turn the thermostat down to 68 degrees. Each additional degree of reduction in temperature settings will reduce energy consumption by about six percent. Wear heavier clothing or sweaters indoors.
- Fix air leaks: Air leaks in your home can allow hundreds of dollars worth of heated air escape. Find and seal these leaks, or have an energy audit performed by a professional to locate the leaks. Concentrate on likely spots such as around door and window frames and where pipes or wires enter your home through the wall. Seal gaps, cracks and openings with caulking. Make sure the ductwork in your heating system is also in good shape and well sealed at all connections.
- Increase insulation: Add more insulation where needed, such as in walls, floors, ceilings, the attic and the foundation. Blanket insulation is most often used between beams and joists in the walls and floors. Foam insulation or loose-fill cellulose insulation can be effective in hard-to-reach or irregularly shaped areas.
- Open the curtains: During the day, open the drapes and curtains to allow more sunlight into your home. This extra sunlight will help warm the interior and will reduce the need for heating from your HVAC system.
Mowery Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing has been a reliable source of HVAC services in Brownsburg and the neighboring communities for the last 40 years. Contact us today for more information on how to make your home more energy efficient during this year’s cooler seasons.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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