10 Easy Energy Saving Tips for Winter
As we move rapidly into yet another holiday season, Americans tend to get busy; homeowners, indeed, becoming busy as usual —preoccupied in all the preparation for participation in all the fun/stressful holiday-related festivities and activities. Knowing this is the nature of winter before things become too hectic, our highly-skilled technicians at Upper Arlington Heating & Cooling have some suggestions for homeowners.
It would serve everyone well to do a quick check of their home’s heating system to guarantee they have the necessary comfort in the most energy-efficient ways possible.
Ultimately, this boils down to keeping up with your HVAC system’s maintenance schedule. With the analysis and tune-up of your furnace, you can avoid potential breakdowns, unexpected expenses, and possible energy inefficiencies. A little bit of time and attention now will serve you well throughout the winter months and give you peace of mind knowing your system is in its prime.
Below is our Top 10 Ways to Save Energy this winter:
1. Consistent HVAC System Maintenance
Of course this is at the top of our list! Quite simply, a homeowner won’t find a substitute for professional maintenance heading into each heating season. During a routine visit, we come out to your home and examine your system to ensure everything is working properly, tuning it up and performing a whole list of tasks and cleanings. Ideally, it’s best to schedule maintenance appointments long before any gatherings, events or holiday parties. Autumn is the best time to get your home ready for winter’s rigorous demands.
2. Upgrade Any Outdated, Antiquated Heating Systems
Outdated heating systems can be massive energy drains; these inefficiencies waste untold amounts of money. As such, finding a reputable local HVAC contractor to analyze your HVAC system’s efficiency, its energy consumption and performance status will identify how much money you’re wasting and whether it would be wise to upgrade. While HVAC system upgrades cost money, in the long run they pay off because of optimal energy efficiencies combined with superior comfort and peace of mind. When an HVAC system (or furnace) is older than 10 years, often it makes more sense to replace it with a current model that has much higher efficiency systems that can cut your energy costs down by up to 40 percent less than what it would have cost.
3. Check Your Insulation
The amount of insulation you have in your attic has a major impact on your HVAC system’s performance ability. As such, we recommend lightening the load on your system by making certain your attic has adequate levels of insulation, at least enough to keep your precious warm air inside and prevent it from escaping through the roof. When you have a sufficient amount of attic insulation, your furnace does not need to work as hard to maintain desired temperature levels, and this saves you energy and money that adds up big time in the long run.
4. Get A Smart Thermostat
One great way to slash down energy costs in the winter is to upgrade your thermostat to one that has better control of your indoor air temperature. Smart thermostats and programmable thermostats are great options that pay for themselves. These smart devices know when you’re away and when you’re home and adjust temperature levels accordingly to save money.
5. Upgrade Your Cooling Systems Too
Cooling your home is probably the last thing on your mind during the winter. Nevertheless, if you are investing in a new heating system, you can save even more money and energy by upgrading your home’s AC system or cooling system at the same time. Get in touch with us to learn more about our discounts by calling (614) 490-7507.
6. Replace or Upgrade Your HVAC System’s Air Filters
If your furnace filters are dirty, old or inadequate, they will restrict the flow of air and reduce the energy efficiency of your whole HVAC system. Fall is the best time to clean or replace your air filters, so if you haven’t checked them yet, please let this serve as a reminder to do so. Moving into the winter air filters need to be replaced almost every month, variations depending on how fast it becomes dirty. If you or anyone in your home suffers from allergies or asthma, it is worth checking into a furnace filter or HVAC system air filter upgrade that can improve your Indoor Air Quality.
7. Keep Your Vents and Registers Open and Clean
If you haven’t done so already, now is a good time to go around your home and check all your vents and registers to ensure they are all open, free of obstructions, and clean. Remove anything that may be blocking them such as rugs, furniture, or draperies.
8. Lower Your Thermostat
If you have not done so already, now is a good time to determine if you might be comfortable with an indoor air temperature that might be cooler than what you currently have it set to. If you can lower your thermostat’s setting by wearing a sweater in the house or other warm clothing,, you will save substantial amounts of energy and money with this lower setting.
9. Look For Air Drafts
For this recommendation, you’ll need to go around your home checking room by room for air leakage or air drafts that might be letting cool air inside and warm air escape. It is especially important to check around doors and windows, which are more susceptible to air drafts.
10. Learn More About Energy Efficiency
Stay up-to-date and current on energy efficiency by keeping tabs in your residence on energy consumption. Ongoing education on energy efficiency trends, along with staying current on your HVAC system’s repair and maintenance needs, will pay off big time. This stuff adds up when you look at the big picture, as any wise homeowner should do.
Schedule That Maintenance Appointment Now!
When you are ready to have your Franklin County’s home heating system, furnace, or heat pump inspected and tuned-up with that all-important preventive maintenance visit, we at Upper Arlington Heating & Cooling are standing by. Give us a call today at (614) 490-7507, or click here to schedule an appointment now!
We’d love to hear from you! We guarantee customer satisfaction.
