Depending on the weather, energy bills may almost seem as expensive as a house payment, but these energy-saving tips can help you lower your bills regardless of what Mother Nature throws at you. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reports that about half your energy bill goes toward heating and cooling your home. Heating water is generally your home’s next largest energy consumer.
You can realize savings on water heating year-round by:
- Insulating your water heater: Insulating blankets and jackets are available at home improvement centers and electric water heaters are fairly easy to wrap. Gas-fueled water heaters require more care since they need proper ventilation for the combustion process. After insulating the tank, turn the water heater down to 120 degrees to save even more energy.
- Running full loads in the dishwasher: The dishwasher uses less water to clean dishes than doing them by hand.
- Washing most clothing in warm or cold water
- Fixing all leaking plumbing fixtures, especially the hot water faucets
These energy-saving tips can help lower the cost of heating and cooling your home:
- Increasing the insulation in your attic: The DOE recommends having from 13 to 16 inches of insulation in the attic. Insulation is affordable, can be easy to install and lasts for decades.
- Setting your thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter and 78 degrees in the summer. A ceiling fan that has a reverse cycle pulls warm air down from the ceiling during the heating season. In the summer, the ceiling fan creates a wind-chill effect, making you feel cooler.
- Check the air filter for the indoor blower monthly and change it when it’s covered with dust. Dirty filters increase energy bills because they slow the airflow, making each component of the system work harder.
- Have your HVAC equipment serviced annually to get the most from it. An HVAC technician will thoroughly clean and adjust your heating and cooling appliances, bringing them as close to new as possible.
If you would like more information about energy-saving tips, please contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning. We provide top-notch HVAC services for Lorain, Erie and Cuyahoga counties.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about Energy-Saving Tips and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area