Is your home as energy efficient as it should be? It may come as a shock to you if you found out just how inefficient your home really is. However it is not too late for you to make your home as energy efficient as possible. Below are some tips that will help you transform your home into a money and energy saving place.
HVAC Maintenance
First off it is highly important that you have your HVAC system maintained properly. If your heating or cooling system goes for a long period of time without being maintained it will quickly lose efficiency. You should call a contractor and set up check ups on your HVAC system yearly. Sometimes it may be something as simple as a part that needs adjusting or fixing. You wouldn’t think something as small as a part could cause your energy bill to skyrocket but it can. When scheduling maintenance on your HVAC system you should also consider the age and condition of it. If your unit is over ten years old or in poor condition you may want to consider purchasing a new one. Once your HVAC system reaches a certain age there is really nothing that you can do to help it regain its efficiency.
A Well Insulated Home
If you live in a home that is well insulated you are already one step ahead of the game. A well insulated home will trap the warm and cool air inside your home preventing it from escaping through your attic or any other openings inside. If your walls are not insulated well it is just causing you to have significant amount of leaked insulation cost wasting your hard earned money.
Sealing The Home
Most newly built homes today are sealed very well, however a lot of older homes are not properly sealed. If your home is not sealed properly it will allow both cold and hot air to come into your home. With air coming into your home constantly it causes your HVAC system to have to work twice as hard trying to achieve a comfortable temperature. Most of the time sealing is not done properly around your windows or doors so if you count all of the windows and doors in your home that is a lot of unnecessary air coming inside. If you come to find that your home is not properly sealed it is a fairly easy fix if you take the time to do it. Most people seal their home by themselves while others call a contractor; it all just depends on your personal preference.
Programmable Thermostat
If your home is not equipped with a programmable thermostat then that is one thing you should consider installing. Programmable thermostats are not too expensive and they will save you a ton of money in the long run. A programmable thermostat will allow you to set your heater or air conditioning system to cut on and off throughout the day. With this type of thermostat it gives you the freedom of setting different temperatures throughout different times of the day. For example you can set your thermostat to cut off when you leave your home and to cut back on before you return home. This way there is no energy wasted during the time that no one is there and your home is back up to a comfortable temperature before you return from your daily errands.
Air Filters
The last step to take in order to ensure that you are not wasting any money on your heating and cooling systems is to change your air filter properly. All heating and cooling systems should come with a recommendation on how often to change your air filters. Even though most recommendations will differ the most important thing is to just make sure it gets changed. A clogged up air filter will not allow your system to run efficiently costing you more money and causing you to have poor air quality inside your home.
If you are looking to save as much money as possible in your home then you should definitely make sure that all of the above steps are taken care of. Aside from just saving money it will allow both you and your family to live in a comfortable environment.