Were you aware that most of the energy you use is to heat and cool your home? For an average home in the United States, approximately 48% of energy usage is for this purpose. As a result, this usually accounts for the largest energy expense for most households.
Some Tips on Thermostat Settings
Experts have several recommendations to maintain comfortable home temperatures throughout the year. During winter, for example, it is advised to keep your thermostat set to 68 to 70 degrees during the day, and 65 to 68 degrees during the night.
When you follow expert guidelines for thermostat settings, it can also save on heating costs. Furthermore, if you’re planning to be away on vacation for the winter, keeping your thermostat set to 60 degrees will actually save you money. This is because it doesn’t require as much energy to raise the temperature further once your return home.
Another way that you can reduce energy consumption and save on your bills is to have a programmable thermostat installed. Since you will be able to pre-program these settings, it’s estimated that you will be able to save about $180.00 on an annual basis.
Tips on Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Systems
How long have you had your current heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system? If you just have an old air conditioner, for example, you may want to ask your local HVAC contractor about Energy Star approved systems. These energy-efficient models are 10% more efficient at cooling a room than their counterparts.
If you’ve been thinking about having central cooling installed, you also want to consider an Energy Star approved system. These have been determined to be around 15% more efficient than their counterparts.
Other Energy and Cost-Saving Tips
If you’d like to lower your heating and cooling bills, there are a variety of ways to accomplish this. Changing your air filters every month, or a minimum of once every 3 months, can make a significant difference in this regard.
Another way to improve your HVAC system’s efficiency is to have the ducts sealed and insulated. This may make a 20% or more difference in your overall energy efficiency.
You can also reduce your air conditioning costs by having a high-efficiency air conditioning system installed. When you engage in other actions, such as closing off drafts, insulating attics, and keeping doors and windows closed, this can reduce air conditioning usage by 20% to 50%.
The Importance of Regular Maintenance
To keep HVAC systems running efficiently, you want to be sure that they’re regularly inspected and maintained. Are you experiencing airflow issues with your existing HVAC system? If so, were you aware that these potentially reduce your system’s efficiency by 15%?
When you use residential generators to power your home’s energy, these, too, need to be regularly inspected and maintained. When you have regular generator preventative maintenance, you increase your chances of this. Furthermore, when it is time to have a new generator installation, your maintenance service will be able to anticipate this so you won’t experience a lack of energy to power your home.
Purchasing Residential and Commercial Generators
Since maintaining a household and/or business requires a consistent flow of energy, it’s important to have the right type of generators to ensure that there are no interruptions. If you are planning to purchase a residential generator for the first time, there are different types of electric generators from which to choose. When you contact your contractor, they will be able to determine the type that will best serve your needs.
Do you also need commercial generators for your business? There are also different types of commercial generators available. Whether you need residential or commercial generators, contact your local generator installation company for more information about your options.