Any time of year is a good time to make your home more efficient, but the warmer months ahead offer a particularly enticing opportunity. Consider these tips and strategies to boost whole-house energy savings right now, and throughout the year ahead.
Heating and Cooling: This is by far the largest single energy cost in most homes, accounting for 45 percent of the average energy bill. You can reduce these expenses in a number of ways.
- Make sure your furnace and air conditioner always have clean filters. Dirty filters make your system work harder, eat up more energy and degrade indoor air quality. Filters should be changed every one to three months.
- Have your HVAC serviced annually by a certified technician. This makes your heating and cooling system more efficient, and prevents major problems from developing.
- Make sure your home is well-insulated, especially the attic.
- Install a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust heating and cooling according to your schedule.
Hot Water: Comprising between 10 and 15 percent of most homes’ energy costs, hot water is another significant expense. You can save money in this area both through conservation and by making your water heater itself more efficient.
- If your water heater is warm to the touch, this means heat is being lost and energy is being wasted. Insulate the tank to hold in heat.
- Turn down the thermostat on your water heater. The factory setting is often as high as 140 degrees, and you can save a lot without sacrificing comfort if you turn it down to 120.
Appliances: Large appliances such as dishwashers and refrigerators, as well as smaller items such as computers and DVD players combine to use up a lot of energy.
- Only run your washing machine when you have a full load. Same goes for dishwashers. Wash in cold water, and dry your clothes out on a clothesline when weather permits.
- Unplug appliances when not in use, or use power strips as central turn-off points.
- Use your computer’s energy-saving features.
For more information on whole-house energy savings, contact Climate Control Company. We’ve been serving Glenwood Springs and Western Colorado since 1956.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about whole-house energy savings and other HVAC topics, please visit our website.
Climate Control Company services Aspen, Vail and the surrounding Western slope communities in Colorado.
