With winter on the way, you聽might聽be聽considering聽your energy bills with聽a sense of unease. The聽cold聽months often bring聽an increase聽in electricity or natural gas costs, depending on what fuel source you use to heat your home and hot water. But don’t聽worry—with聽a suitable聽approach, you can聽control聽your winter energy efficiency and save聽a significant amount of聽cash. Here’s how to聽fine-tune聽your聽climate control聽system to keep your home聽cozy聽without聽breaking the bank.
Book聽Fall Furnace Maintenance
Your聽heating and cooling聽system is like a car—it聽functions聽easier聽when well-maintained.聽Arranging聽annual preventative maintenance聽before winter arrives聽boosts聽your system’s聽efficiency聽and can save you up to 5% on energy costs.聽Apart from聽helping your HVAC equipment聽run聽more efficiently, this聽scheduled聽check can聽reveal聽any聽lurking聽issues.聽Identifying聽and聽addressing聽these聽issues聽early prevents聽disruptions during the heating season聽and more costly repair bills mid-season.
Replace Your Aging聽Furnace
If your furnace is more than 10 years old and聽experiencing malfunctions, it聽might be聽time for聽furnace replacement.聽Old聽systems can be a聽substantial聽financial burden, costing you more in energy and repairs than聽the cost of replacement in the long run.聽Replacing your furnace聽with a high-efficiency Energy Star¨-certified聽unit聽can聽reduce聽your聽power expenses聽by as much as 40%. Plus, you’ll enjoy a more consistently聽comfortable聽indoor environment when your聽heating system furnace聽meets today’s standards.
Modify聽Your Thermostat
Remember those聽sweltering聽summer days when you聽set the聽thermostat to 78 degrees to save聽money? Well, that setting won’t聽help you聽in聽the chilly winter season.聽Make the most of聽your thermostat for the season by聽adjusting it聽to 70 degrees or 聽a lower temperature. Every degree you聽decrease聽the temperature can save you聽up to聽3% on your聽heating bill.
Better yet,聽consider buying聽a聽smart programmable thermostat聽you can set聽and leave alone. These Wi-Fi-enabled devices聽permit聽you to聽modify聽your home’s temperature聽anywhere you are. The most advanced learning models make automatic adjustments聽according to your routines, helping you聽stay comfortable聽while saving聽electricity聽when you’re away or sleeping.
Change聽the Air Filter
Your聽furnace air filter聽has an impact on聽how efficiently your HVAC system聽functions. A dirty,聽clogged聽filter forces聽a heating and cooling system聽to work harder to circulate air,聽increasing聽energy consumption. To聽prevent聽this聽situation, check the filter monthly and replace it every 1-3 months as聽a budget-friendly聽and聽simple聽way to improve winter energy efficiency.
Check聽Your Air Registers
The little details聽make a difference.聽Rapidly聽dusting your supply and return registers聽removes聽hair, dirt and other聽obstructions聽that聽restrict聽airflow. Once clean,聽be certain that聽your curtains, rugs and furniture聽don't block聽the vents.聽Ensuring clear passage聽for warm air to circulate makes a聽big difference聽in your home’s comfort and energy usage this winter.
Eliminate聽Drafts in Your Home
Even聽slight聽drafts can put聽unnecessary聽strain on your聽HVAC聽system.聽Perform聽a sweep of your home to聽locate聽and seal any air leaks. These are easiest to聽find聽on聽chilly, windy days that聽draw聽the heat out through gaps and cracks.聽Apply聽weatherstripping and caulk around doors and windows, and apply spray foam around plumbing, vents and wiring penetrations to聽prevent聽costly air leaks聽right away.
Boost聽Insulation in Your Home
The attic is the聽most convenient聽place to add insulation to聽a聽home.聽More聽insulation on the attic floor means聽less聽heat loss through the ceiling, making it easier for your聽HVAC聽system to maintain a聽cozy聽temperature. But insulation isn’t聽solely聽for your attic—you can also insulate pipes, ductwork and electrical outlets on exterior walls to聽boost聽energy efficiency.
贰虫辫濒辞谤别听窜辞苍颈苍驳
If your home has聽more than one story聽or wings, you聽may gain advantages聽from聽installing聽a聽zoned HVAC system. This involves聽putting聽dampers in the ductwork and installing multiple thermostats that聽permit聽you to independently control the temperature in聽various zones聽of your home. You聽could聽heat the ground floor during the day and the upstairs bedrooms at night,聽conserving聽energy by only paying to heat聽chosen sections聽of your home when you need them.
Select聽a Humidifier
Winter air is聽typically extremely聽dry. You聽might聽address聽this with聽portable聽humidifiers throughout your聽home, but there’s a聽more effective聽way.聽Set up聽a whole-house humidifier to work聽alongside聽your聽furnace. Moist air feels warmer than dry air, so a聽whole-house humidifier聽enhances聽a聽cozier聽interior without聽raising聽the thermostat.
Partner with聽天美传媒 for Winter Prep in the U.S
If you’re looking to聽enhance聽your home’s winter energy efficiency in the U.S, 天美传媒 is聽ready to support. Our聽ACE-certified technicians聽offer聽prompt,聽reliable聽solutions to all your comfort聽concerns, backed by a聽天美传媒 Guarantee.
If you’re not聽completely satisfied聽with our聽work, you can聽depend on聽us to make it right. Call (866) 963-7996 today so the聽team聽at 天美传媒 can make a聽substantial聽difference in your life and sense of comfort聽during the winter months.
