The two major heating and cooling seasons can see our energy bills rise quite quickly. There are some things you can do to help keep your home comfortable while helping to lower your energy bills.
How to Lower Your Energy Bills and Stay Comfortable
Lowering Energy Bills in the Winter
- In winter it is a great idea to open your curtains and blinds on the windows that will let the sun shine into your home. This will trap some of the sun’s warmth in your home during the day.
- Heavy curtains and thermal blinds can help keep cold draughts out and help trap the warmth from your heating system inside your home.
- Turning your thermostat down just a couple of degrees and adding some cozy blankets or purchasing some warm slippers can help you reduce your energy costs.
- Be sure to reverse your ceiling fan, this will help push all that hot air that rises back into your home.
- If you have a furnace that is older than 15 years, you may want to look at upgrading to an energy efficient system. An upgrade in your heating system can significantly lower your energy costs.
- Make sure your furnace filter is clean, be sure to replace your filter every 2-3 months, more often if you have pets in your home.
Lowering Energy Bills in the Summer
- In summer you can do the reverse with your blinds and curtains. Block the heat from the sun during the hottest parts of the day by keeping your blinds closed.
- If you have a two-story home, use fans throughout your home to push the cool air downstairs to the upstairs areas.
- Use window fans during the night to draw the cool night air in.
- Turn your thermostat up a few degrees. You can still be comfortable but turning your thermostat up just 1-2 degrees can help you save a lot on your energy costs.
- Use the oven less and cook outdoors more, this will help reduce heat build up in the house.
- If your AC/cooling system just can’t keep up, have it maintained, if this doesn’t help you may need to upgrade your cooling system.
- Have your insulation levels checked, the right amount of insulation can help keep the heated or cooled air inside your home.
- Be sure to turn all the ceiling fans on in your home, it will make everyone feel more comfortable, help the air from getting stale and allow you to turn the thermostat up a little.
Here at Ernst Heating and Cooling we want to help you save on your energy costs. Our Energy Savings Agreement is a great way to do just that.
If you are looking to reduce your energy costs and keep your home comfortable contact our team of heating and cooling experts today.