Nobody wants to spend more than necessary on energy bills, so why not take some steps to increase your energy savings? Luckily, some simple lifestyle adjustments and home repairs can lower your energy bills without leaving you too hot or too cold.
Lifestyle Adjustments
Not all energy-saving strategies require home repairs. Try some of these simple lifestyle adjustments to help you save money:
- Turn off the lights and ceiling fans when you leave a room.
- Only run the dishwasher and washing machine when you have full loads.
- During winter, open your curtains during the day to allow the sun to warm your house.
- Set your water heater temperature to 120 degrees (most homes have the water heater set to 130-140 degrees).
- Turn your air conditioning up when you leave the house, or set your programmable thermostat to automatically turn up the A/C while you’re at work or asleep each day.
Home Maintenance
You can also cut energy bills by improving your home to make it more efficient. Some of these changes will require professional help, but the upfront cost is usually worth the long-term energy savings.
- If your furnace and air conditioner are old and inefficient, consider replacing them with efficient, Energy Star rated units.
- Repair leaky air ducts. The average American home loses about 20 percent of its cooled or heated air through duct leaks, increasing energy bills.
- Consider installing a zoned system. This type of system allows you to customize the temperature in each room, meaning that you only pay to cool or heat rooms that you are using.
- Replace or clean your HVAC filter regularly.
- Have a professional contractor perform an energy assessment on your home and suggest ways for you to cut down on energy use.
- Install a draft stopper on outside doors.
- Repair broken window seals with caulking.
- Have a contractor update your insulation.
For help with energy-saving home maintenance in the Yuma area, contact the experts at Hansberger Refrigeration & Electric Company.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy bills and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Hansberger Refrigeration & Electric Co services the Yuma area in Arizona. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!
