1. Seal Your Home Completely
Experts recommend you to think of your house as an envelope when it comes to adjusting temperatures in your home. Jeff Starkey who’s the vice president of Atlas Bulter, a cooling, heating, and plumbing company located in Columbus, Ohio, advises that to maintain air conditioning during summer or to maintain the heat during winter, you’ll have to seal all cracks. You can hire somebody to do this job for you, however, it may cost you around £250, that’s what Starkey says.
However, Zillow Lifestyle Expert Amanda Pendleton recommends you first some tasks on your own. “Put weather stripping to caulk drafty windows and drafty doors,” says Pendleton.
If you will require assistance, the experts will inspect other problems. “Ducts also commonly allow leaks, so make sure your contractor looks for tears, holes, and other indicators of leaking ducts and seal them off,” Pendleton adds.
The contractor can also insect other possible sources of leaks in your home such as plumbing stack, chimney, and attic door.
2. You need to upgrade
If you have an outdated heating or cooling system, you may want to buy another one. “Since heating and cooling consumes the largest amount of energy, check to see if your system needs to be replaced with a high-performing one,” Pendleton recommends. “And ensure you get the correct size of furnace or HVAC system for your house – either too big or too small will lead to wastage of energy.” Click here for boiler replacement Glasgow to get an up to date replacement.
Pendleton also recommends replacing some of your major appliances (such as dryers and washers), with improved versions which include the Energy Star logo. “The US Department of Energy gives rebates, tax credits, as well as other savings that would help with the cost,” she says.
Replacing any major appliance is maybe among the most expensive ways of cutting costs, however, smaller changes can be made. According to Pendleton, you may replace your light bulbs by using a programmable thermostat or using energy-efficient bulbs.
3. Change some of your habits
Besides the improvement projects, you can change some of your simple habits and try little energy-saving tips. You may start by turning your lights off every time you leave the room.
You might also decide to tame your family’s video games or TV habits. Pendleton says that although the television alone may not be a major energy-consuming appliance, while combined with other gadgets like the sound and gaming system, it can be.
Washing laundry in cold water, whenever it’s possible as well as cleaning the lint trap of your dryer for a faster dry time may also be helpful according to Pendleton. Ensure you unplug small appliances when no one is using them, and make sure you close your chimney flue when it’s idle.
Pendleton also recommends leaving baths and taking showers instead to cut on the amount of hot water required. The amount of hot water used can also be reduced by scraping the dishes until they’re clean rather than rinsing them then putting them in the dishwasher.
Pendleton says that you should make sure you are using smaller burners for smaller pots and pans while cooking to avoid wastage of heat.
Starkey also advises upping your temperature in summer and lowering it in winter. A slight change of degree can affect your energy usage and hence have an impact on your bill.
A thermostat comes in at this point. Starkey says you should lower your temperature at the time you leave and set your smart thermostat to kick on at least 30 minutes before you get home so that the house is warm when you get there, without heating it when no one needs that.
4. Monitor the usage
All these tips to save you energy may be useless until you realize they are working. That’s why you need to monitor your usage by checking your monthly heat and power bills keenly.
Many utility companies will give you an energy audit to show you what’s causing the usage and how you can lower it. If that’s not the case, Pendleton says you should consider getting in touch with your local or state government to get a good energy auditor. Check with the Residential Energy Services Network to find auditors around your area.
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