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HVAC systems account for 46% of the average US home’s energy consumption while 33% goes to cooking and lighting, 14% is heating and water and about 7-9% is consumed by the refrigerators alone. Your utility bills are bound to go up during the winter, and may go beyond your financial ability if you don’t make your home more energy-efficient.
You can keep energy bills down by initiating and putting into place an energy-efficiency plan for your home. Here are the 8 tips to make your home more energy efficient and save on your utility bills:
1. Get a programmable thermostat
A programmable thermostat will enable you set it according to the temperatures you prefer for a certain time. For instance, you can set your thermostat to be 68°F in the winter and 78°F in the summer. While not in the house or at night, your thermostat could be adjusted from 5-10 degrees. However, you need to understand that setting your thermostat to lower temperatures than normal cannot help in cooling you house faster.2. Program your thermostat
Programming your thermostat will involve knowing the schedules, choosing the temperature setting, and ensuring that the schedules built are working properly. Once you buy a thermostat, you need to program it by entering your schedule and corresponding temperatures. You need to understand that a well programmed thermostat help reduce energy costs. You might prefer a smart thermostat that can be programmed using a smartphone app and anywhere without reaching out to the thermostat itself.3. Open your blinds and let sunshine warm your spaces
You can also ensure that the blinds are open, especially when there is winter sunshine to allow warm air or heat to fill the house spaces. It is referred to as passive solar heating and it is an effective technique that reduces energy consumption in rooms. At night, the blinds will need to be closed to help keep the heat in the house. During winter, the heat in your house escapes through the windows and thus they should be closed to help save energy.4. Insulate your doors
You will need to insulate your doors such that no warm air gets out and cold air gets in. The entry doors from outside can be insulated using fiberglass, which is the best material for insulation. You can also consider buying a door snake, installing a door sweep, caulking or even using insulator curtains to help retain the warm air inside. An insulated door will not only provide better energy efficiency, but it also increases comfort in the house through moderation of temperatures.5. Turn off unnecessary water
As per the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, it is clear that if the average homeowner made slight changes to how they use water at their home, it can help save about $170 annually. You need to be money conscious while running water at your home, either by brushing your teeth or using hot showers. You can control unnecessary flow of water in the showers or taps in your home by getting adjustable openings. While bathing, you can use basins and cups while brushing your teeth and while doing cleaning or washing clothes, consider using cold water.6. Unplug electric appliances while not in use
The battery, laptops, cell phone chargers and other wireless devices consume a lot of energy when they are plugged in, even when not charging. You will need to be careful about switching sockets and unplugging chargers after you finish using them. You are looking for money tips for saving on utility bills and steps like just unplugging your charger will help achieve energy efficiency at your home. It may seem challenging at first, but the energy savings you will make are worth all the trouble.7. Fix leaky faucets
Fixing leaky faucets is a quick process in which you do not have to call a plumber, rather, you can do it yourself and save money. Faucets are quite different and sometimes may seem complicated, but you can fix them by researching the steps to follow when repairing a specific model. If you notice that your faucet is leaky, plan to fix it to avoid waste of water through the drips. Always turn off the main system that supplies water to the entire house before working on the faucet, otherwise, failure may cause flooding in the house.8. Clean or replace the air filters
Replacing or cleaning the air filters is one of the HVAC tips for maintenance if the systems. Other tips include checking the ducks, leaving the air vents open and having a maintenance tune-up. At your home, you will need to regularly check the air filters based on when they need cleaning or replacement. You need to ensure that the filters are always clean, since dirty filters make your HVAC system operate for longer hours than normal and work much harder as well.