Are you tired of seeing expensive energy bills? Reducing your energy bill can come down to a simple process of changing your lights and using motion sensors to reduce energy from being used when you are not in a room. Heating and hot water heaters account for 60% of your home’s total energy use. Replacing an outdated furnace, water heater, and air conditioner system can drastically reduce your home’s energy bill.

By the year 2032, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expects that electricity demand will grow by 40% in the United States. With energy in such a high demand, companies and individuals are looking for ways to use solar energy, wind energy, and alternative energy sources.

Evaluate Your Home’s Energy Costs

Take a look at your annual energy consumption. Take a look at the areas in your home that are a heat or cooling trap. Homes with vaulted ceilings tend to have major issues to face as the hot air tends to become trapped in this space. To keep your energy costs under control, install ceiling fans that you can run to move the air around. Businesses with large warehouses can reduce energy consumption by 20% by blowing warm air down.

To save even more money on energy costs, turn up the air-conditioning by about 5 degrees. Even reducing 1 degree can save up to 8 percent on heating costs.

Adequate Ventilation Saves Energy

Do you have adequate ventilation in your home? Have the attic vents and soffit vents checked to ensure they are circulating air correctly. Fresh air is vital to prevent condensation and dampness in the attic. Ventilation accounts for roughly 30% of heat loss in commercial buildings. While homeowners will not lose as much through ventilation, it can still cause energy issues. An HVAC system will need to work harder if you do not have adequate ventilation in the home. Use ceiling fans year-round as they do a great job to circulate air in the home, and limit the stress on the motor of your HVAC system. Ask about our high-efficiency heating and cooling systems as they can save you upwards of 5% on energy costs.

Correct Insulation Will Save Money

One easy way to improve the energy-efficiency of your home is by checking the insulation levels in the home. Millions of homes in America are under-insulated, causing the hot and cold air to quickly escape from your home. Foam insulation can improve the amount of airflow that leaks through the walls of the home. Check around each outlet in your home to see if you have insulation around each plug. Each time you have a gap, it means you are dealing with gaps of air that will leak right out of your home. Fiberglass insulation is simply an air filter, and doesn’t do a great job keeping the air from leaking out of your home.

How Can I Reduce Heating and Cooling Costs?

If your air conditioner or heating system is relatively new, what else can you do to control the costs? Here are some tips to consider as they can improve the efficiency of your unit, and will improve the way it runs.

• Replacing the filter on your heater or air conditioner will improve the efficiency of the unit.
• Schedule HVAC maintenance visits from Genuine Comfort Heating & Cooling as we will maintain your unit and provide you with price estimates if you need a new system.
• Unplug your appliances when they are not in use. Appliances will consume up to 50 watts or more just to stay plugged in and “ready” for use. Leaking electricity in the home costs homeowners approximately $450 each year!

For additional information about your home’s energy bill, and what you can do to save money, call Genuine Comfort Heating & Cooling in Centerville today!