Best Ways to Minimize Heating and Cooling Costs

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Summer has proven to be a relentless assault on not only our ability to step outside, but also our electric bills. As the weeks tick by, temperatures will hopefully start dropping down to tolerable levels. However, in the interim it is important to save as much as you can on those cooling costs. The following are tips to help your reduce your heating and cooling costs, something that will help not only in the summer but also in the coming winter!

Run Appliances at Night

The thing to remember about appliances is that they produce heat as well. This is especially true for things like the dishwasher and dryer which use heat in order to fulfill their designed function. Rather than make your air conditioner compete with these appliances along with the forces of nature, instead wait until night. This will help minimize the amount of energy your AC needs to expend in order to keep the house cool while still allowing you the advantage of these appliances.

More Plants around the House

Naturally, the more sun you can keep from hitting your home, the less you have to spend in heating and cooling costs. One sure way to accomplish this is to add trees and shrubbery around the house. You want leafy trees that will help create shade and block the sun. This will help block the sun and reduce your energy costs. However, keep hurricane season in mind when making your tree selections! That tree won’t be such a boon if it ends up falling on your home when the storms begin.

Prevent Air Leaks

If you let air leak out of your home, this means cool air is escaping and hot air is coming in. This will cause your home energy use to skyrocket! Seal the draft coming out of the front door or other external doorways. This will keep cool air where it belongs. Check walls and the roof for cracks or other holes that allow heat to escape as well.

Programmable Thermostats

Or you can try to remember to adjust the thermostat yourself. The point is that when you are away, then there is no reason you need to keep the home too cool. Allow the temperature to rise by a few degrees when you are away from home or at night, readjusting it to a fixed comfort level when you return. Do not make frequent adjustments over the course of the day mind you, just do enough to make sure you’re not wasting energy when it’s not needed. This is why we recommend a programmable thermostat – this way you don’t have to worry about remembering.

Replace Dated HVAC Systems

If your heating and cooling system is more than ten years old then consider replacing the system outright. Many standards in both regulation and the industry have changed over the past decade, and using a legacy system is likely costing you more money than you would spend on an upgrade. Replace the dated HVAC system with a newer model to help cut down on energy costs.

These are just a few ways to help cut down on home energy usage. By implementing these methods you can save yourself hundreds of dollars per year!

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