“If you always do what you’ve always done, you always get what you’ve always gotten.”
Summer is approaching and the long cooling season will soon begin. Since energy prices are skyrocketing across the board this year, there is an inner discussion going on inside your head. “This year needs to be different!” you tell yourself, “We need to take some steps to cut our energy bill.”
However, your inner voice cannot answer the question, “What can I do to lower my energy bill?” Here are five tips that can significantly lower your energy bills. Don’t take our word as truth: follow up with the Department of Energy posts to make sure you get it right.
Energy Efficient HVAC System Tip 1
Save Money by Programming Temperature Changes.1 Your air conditioning needs to change throughout the day. With a programmable or smart thermostat, you can take advantage of these facts and save on your energy bill with every change. Here is how it works:
If you can change your temperature setting daily by 7-100 for at least 8 hours per day, you will save approximately 10% on your annual energy.
This works for both the heating and the cooling season.
Focus your schedule changes around when you need heating and air conditioning the least:
When the house is vacant and everyone is at school or work
When everyone is asleep
Both programmable and Smart thermostats will let you schedule the temperature changes without manually adjusting the thermostat. Give your home a 30-minute return-to-normal buffer by scheduling heating or cooling cycles as the family is waking up or arriving home from daily activities. Smart thermostats have a phone app to let you make changes on the fly.
Energy Efficient HVAC System Tip 2
Save Money by Closing Blinds in Summer/Opening Blinds in Winter2 There are several things to remember about the windows and glass doors.
Everyone loves natural light—most of the time.
Glass is a very poor insulator. Heat energy is always moving from hot to cold. In the winter, heat is moving freely from the inside to the cold outdoor air. In the summer, the heat from the outside is moving into your home. An estimated 30% of the energy lost from heating and cooling your home is going right out the window, even when the windows are closed.
More than 70% of the sunlight that enters your home through the windows will turn to heat energy.
Blinds and window treatments can help regulate the temperature in your home if you open the blinds on sunny winter days and close them during the heat of the day during the summer.
Energy Efficient HVAC System Tip 3
Save Money by SealingDuctwork3
When a house’s construction is complete, a large portion of the supply and return air ducts are enclosed under wallcoverings, and never or rarely seen again. They are easily ignored, but an estimated 20% of the air moving through the ducts is lost to leaks and unsealed joints. What can you do about ducts you cannot access?
Do a brief inspection of ducts that you can access—in the basement, crawlspace, attic, or garage.
If you spy leaks and poorly fitting joints or if you suspect a problem with the ducts, call a professional to inspect further and make repairs.
This is a project with a quick payback from lower utility bills.
Energy Efficient HVAC System Tip 4
Save Money by Resetting Your Water Heater4
Most water heaters arrive from the manufacturer with a factory temperature setting of 1400 F. That is hot enough to scald someone; most uses require a mixture of hot and cold water to protect against harm. Not only is this setting too hot for human skin, but it is also costing money.
Find a thermometer. Go to the kitchen sink and run the water at its hottest setting over the thermometer.
While 1400 F is the factory setting, the optimal temperature is 1200 F, which is hot enough to keep the water bacteria-free and not hot enough to scald someone’s skin.
By lowering the temperature to a comfortable temperature, you will see a 3-5% energy cost saving annually.
Adjust the temperature and wait for 3 hours. Check the temperature again to make sure you are comfortable with the temperature.
Energy Efficient HVAC System Tip 5
Save Money by Maintaining Your HVAC System5
Since approximately 50% of your energy use is consumed by heating and cooling your residence, do everything you can to keep your HVAC system in good working order. When you remember that dust is the enemy of your system, these three tips will make perfect sense.
Keep the outdoor condenser unit clear from debris and clean from dirt and grass clippings. A central fan is pulling air through small openings in the surround. If those openings are clogged or blocked, the overheating can cause catastrophic damage to the unit.
Change the air filter at least every three months. This improves indoor air quality but also limits the amount of dust, pollen, and dander that can make its way into the central cabinet.
Schedule an annual HVAC tune-up with an HVAC technician. Not only will he inspect the system for proper function, but he will also clean away the dust that makes it past the air filter.
Have Questions About HVAC Systems Energy Efficiency?
