Heating and Cooling HVAC Savings Tips
A big chunk of the average household’s utility bill comes from heating and cooling. That seems logical, because it would require a good amount of energy in order to manipulate the temperature within the total space of a house.
As it’s really not an option to virtually evaporate in the summer and then freeze during the winter, you do need to keep the temperatures in your house controlled. That doesn’t mean you can’t cut back on your heating or cooling costs, though. You’ll find some useful heating and cooling savings tips below.
Adjusting your thermostat
You don’t have to go all the way up or down when it comes to your thermostat’s settings. Depending on which season it is, you can always just set the temperatures to the level that allows you to be comfortable. All things in moderation, as they say. In addition, you should also make sure you adjust your thermostat accordingly when you’re going out of the house. Try to get a programmable thermostat so you don’t keep adjusting manually.
Maintenance is a must
Regularly cleaning and checking up on your heating and cooling equipment is important to ensure that they can still perform properly and efficiently. Clean up filters, heaters, and radiators. Air out the pieces of equipment that need to get aired out each season.
Placement is also key. Make sure your thermostats are in the rooms that are most used, and if possible, try to place them away from heat and cold sources.
Of course, equipment like boilers and furnaces will lose efficiency over time, so it’s also good to know how far along their respective lifespans the ones in your home are. Life expectancy for such equipment are typically 15 to 30 years.
Going green
If you can, go for equipment that are certified to be energy-efficient. Try to get spec sheets to compare consumption ratings. In addition to the equipment themselves being green, another measure is to make sure that your house is efficient overall so that you may not need to purchase larger units. Which leads us to the next point…
Opting for the whole-house energy efficiency approach
When possible, you should make sure that the design of your house—whether you’re getting a new one or having an existing house renovated—is geared towards being energy-efficient. This will help your overall efforts to cut utility costs, particularly when it comes to energy consumption, and thus makes heating and cooling your home a whole lot more efficient.
If you’re going to do this seemingly gargantuan task, don’t do it by yourself. Consult seasoned professionals and make sure your that everyone involved—from the design stage to the actual construction—is on the same page when it comes to what you want to achieve.
With the kinds of costs associated with household heating and cooling, it is always in your best interest to make sure everything works properly and, if possible, that they also become more efficient. With the tips above, hopefully your home will be more efficient when it comes to handling climate control. What’s more, you’ll be able to save big bucks with every new utility bill that reaches your mailbox.
