The arrival of winter presents you with two conflicting goals: enjoying a comfortably warm home and saving money on your energy bills. Here are six effective ways to keep your wintertime energy consumption in check without losing out on comfort.
1. Have Your Heating System Serviced
To ensure that your heating equipment operates at optimal efficiency, schedule a professional maintenance visit. Along with preventing unnecessary energy waste, maintaining the heating system is critical for its safe operation and can help you avoid unexpected, mid-winter breakdowns.
2. Put Your Programmable Thermostat to Work
According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), wise use of a programmable thermostat can cut your HVAC-related energy use by up to 10 percent. For the greatest savings, schedule daily 10- to 15-degree temperature setbacks for eight hours or longer.
3. Get Accessible Ductwork Sealed and Insulated
Ducts that leak and lack insulation can let up to 30 percent of your heating system’s warm air output escape. Getting the ductwork sealed and insulated can reduce such losses significantly, keeping you comfortable while saving money.
4. Operate Your Ceiling Fans in Reverse
You may not realize that your ceiling fans can help you heat more efficiently in winter thanks to the fact that warm air rises. Just put the blade direction in reverse, or clockwise, and put the fans on the lowest speed setting so they draw cooler, floor-level air up and send warmer air back down where it’s most beneficial.
5. Seal Up Leaks to Curb Heat Losses
Heat aims for equilibrium, so in the winter, it tries to escape your home through any small opening. To keep more inside, seal cracks and gaps around your windows, doors, and any penetrations through the exterior shell.
6. Maintain Your Indoor Humidity Level
Cold air can’t hold a lot of moisture, and your furnace dries out your indoor air even more. By properly humidifying your home, you can save energy by turning down the thermostat setting, without any loss of comfort.
For more ideas for saving money while staying warm in your Eastern North Carolina home this winter, contact us at Jackson & Sons.
Jackson & Sons, Inc.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
