5 Strategies for Reducing
Your Heating and Cooling Bills
By
Andrew
Seltz
One of the single
biggest monthly expenses you will face is the cost of heating and
cooling your home.
As the costs of
heating oil and electricity continue to rise, it becomes vital that
you get the maximum heating and cooling result for your money. There
are a number of things you can do to improve the energy efficiency
of the heating and cooling systems in your home.
The here are the
top 5 strategies for reducing your heating and cooling bills:
CHECK YOUR
SEALS - Air leaks in your home rob you of heating and
cooling dollars. You pay to heat or cool your home only to have
drafty windows and walls blow it all away. Sealing the cracks and
crevices around doors, windows, and electrical outlets will
dramatically reduce the energy lost to drafts and lower your energy
bills.
MAX OUT
YOUR INSULATION - One of the biggest wastes of heat in your
home is poor attic insulation. Make sure you have the appropriate
amount of insulation in your attic to prevent heat loss through the
ceiling.
UNCOVER AIR
VENTS - In many homes with forced air heating and cooling
systems the vents (sometimes called registers) are located on the
floor. If these vents are blocked by furniture or draperies, the air
will not flow properly through the house. The result is that your
heating and cooling systems will not operate at their highest
efficiency.
SERVICE
YOUR HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM - Nobody likes to pay for
service calls when their heating and cooling system is working, but
having a technician check your system annually can dramatically
reduce your energy bills. The service technician will make sure that
your system is working at peak efficiency and help identify problems
before they become huge expenses.
INSTALL
CEILING FANS - In the winter the warm air in you home can
be trapped at the ceiling leaving you cold (or forcing you to turn
up the thermostat to get the lower part of the room heated.) A
ceiling fan can help mix the air and keep the overall temperature in
the room more comfortable year round.
These simple, and
often inexpensive, changes can dramatically reduce the cost of
heating and cooling your home. Some require nothing more than a
quick trip to your local home center and an afternoon of labor.
Visit our website for more tips on making your
heating and cooling systems more energy efficient:
http://www.EnergyEfficientHeatingAndCooling.com
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