The New Year is here, which means that you’re probably thinking about New Year’s resolutions. One resolution you might want to consider making is to create a more environmentally-friendly home. You can do this by making it more energy efficient. Not only will you make your home more environmentally-friendly by doing so, you’ll also end up saving a substantial amount of money in the long run by significantly reducing your energy costs. The following are some ways that you can make your home more energy efficient in 2018:
Upgrade your HVAC system
The older your HVAC system is, the less efficient it is. Not only do air conditioning systems and heating systems experience general wear and tear from years of use (which contributes to a reduced efficiency), but even if they don’t, odds are that newer models are way more efficient as a result of advancements in HVAC technology made over the years.
While it may cost you a decent amount of money to install a new furnace or a new air conditioner initially, the amount of energy you’ll save will help you save money on your energy bills over the long run.
Install new windows
If you own an older house, then odds are the windows are outdated. Heat can easily penetrate or escape through the glass of old windows, whereas newer windows often use double and triple pane technology along with special glass coatings that help keep UV rays from pouring into your home.
When heat escapes your home through your windows, it means your heating system has to work twice as hard to replace that lost heat, resulting in the use of more energy. The same goes for your air conditioner during the summer months, when it has to battle the heat that penetrates through inefficient windows.
Install a programmable thermostat
During the winters, many people crank up their thermostat to blast the heat all day long. The same goes during the summers when they blast their air conditioning. This generally results in a waste of energy since you don’t need to be cooling or heating your home 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
By installing a programmable thermostat, you can program the thermostat to automatically change temperatures at certain times of the day and week. So if you leave for work at 8:00 AM, you can program the thermostat to change to its most energy efficient setting at that time since there’s no point in heating or cooling an empty house. You can then program it to turn back to your desired temperature right before you come back home.
You can also set your programmable thermostat to automatically change settings if you are away for extended periods of time; for example, if you’re going on a weekend trip. You’ll be surprised at how much money you’ll end up saving over the course of the year just by using a programmable thermostat.
Add or upgrade insulation
Insulation is a must if you want to keep the heat and cool air your HVAC system produces from escaping your house and to keep outdoor temperatures from affecting your indoor comfort. Most homes have some kind of insulation in the walls and floors, but one area where they are often lacking is in the attic.
Without proper attic insulation, any hot air your heating system produces will rise up through your ceiling and into the attic. Because heat rises, your heating system will have to work constantly to keep replacing that hot air. When you add proper insulation to your attic, it will keep hot air trapped in your home.
Use your ceiling fans
This little trick won’t cost you a cent. If your home has ceiling fans, flip the switch on the body of the fan to reverse the direction of the blades. The heat your HVAC system produces will be pushed back down by the fans, thereby helping to keep your home heated more evenly, thereby reducing the amount of work that your heating system has to do.
Use your curtains and blinds
During the winter, open up your curtains and blinds on the windows facing the sun during the day. This invites as much sunlight – and heat – into your home as possible, helping to reduce the workload of your heating system. At night, make sure all your curtains and blinds are closed to trap heat inside. The same trick can be used during the summer to keep cool air in and hot air out.
These are just a few ways that you can make your home more energy efficient for the upcoming year. To find out how we can help you make your home more energy efficient in 2018, be sure to contact us at Edwin Stipe today.
