Who wouldn't love to cut their monthly energy bills down? It is great for the environment, your home, AND your wallets. It is actually quite simple to make your #home more #energyefficient and here are a few ways:
1. Different ways for Heating & Cooling
Have a programmable thermostat. You can set it to adjust the temperature for you. For when you have to leave for your 8 hour work day, set your thermostat higher or lower, depending on the time of the year. This will prevent your system from running all day and wasting that energy when no one is home.
Install ceiling fans. Installing ceiling fans in all your living rooms can help a lot in conjunction with the air conditioning to help cool the room faster.
Replace your air return filter periodically. It should be changed at least every 2-3 months for proper efficiency. If you have pets, I recommend changing them monthly. A clogged filter makes your system run harder, using more energy and costing you more money.
Install wood/pellet stoves. Growing up we always had a wood stove or pellet stove as our heating source and saved loads of money on the heating bill. It is a very effective source of heating.
2. Tankless Water Heaters
A tankless water heater eliminates the extra cost of your water heating trying to heat 40-50 gallons of water, wasting energy. #tanklesswaterheaters supply hot water on-demand when called for by the shower or faucet. They also have a a significantly longer lifespan. A conventional water heater lasts typically 8-12 years with proper maintenance, while a tankless water heater can last over 20 years.
3. Switch to LED lighting
LED bulbs last longer and use a lot less energy than an incandescent bulb. To give you an idea, an incandescent light bulb that uses 50 watts can be replaced with an #LED bulb that will only use 6.5 watts. Incandescent bulbs are also known to be somewhat of a fire hazard for the amount of heat they can put off, especially when uncovered somewhere such as a closet.
4. Weatherstrip your doors and windows
Sealing your doors and windows will prevent air from escaping through the cracks, making your #HVAC system run longer and more often. You can pick up weatherstripping at any local hardware store such as #Lowes, #HomeDepot, #Walmart, or #Menards and its a cheap, easy fix, to save you money in the long run. An easy way to check to see if air is leaking out from doorways, is to step back and look to see if you can see daylight peaking in around your door. You also want to seal off any holes or entry points along the exterior of your home where pipes or hose bibs go through the house.
5. Having proper attic & crawlspace insulation
The proper amount of insulation you need varies based on your location. You can check EnergyStar.com where you can see a zoning map telling you the right amount of insulation you need. Insulation is measured by its R-value. The higher the R-value, the more resistant it is air leakage. Colder areas like up North, requires more inches of insulation to help keep the hot and cool air in the living spaces. Hot air rises and escapes into your attic, with proper insulation, you can reduce that air loss. You also want to check for proper installation because a lot of times the vapor barrier on the installation is installed backwards. The vapor barrier should always face towards the living area. In other words you should always see the "fuzzy side".
These are just a few simple #homemaintenancetips to make your home more energy efficient and save you more money throughout the year.
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