Who doesn’t want to save money? When it comes to energy-efficient homes, many homeowners miss valuable ways they can increase whole-house energy efficiency, making their homes more comfortable and saving money in the process. It’s important to understand where energy is escaping and driving your energy bills up.
One essential way to increase whole-house energy efficiency is to check for any air leaks around the home. You may find openings that you never knew were there. These often are found in door and windows frames, openings for plumbing, electrical wiring and vents, and places where building materials meet. Use caulking, weatherstripping or expanding spray foam, depending on the spot that you’re sealing. The leaks from the house to the attic are the worst and should be addressed first. These can be recessed can lights, openings at the electrical connection to ceiling fans, connections around air conditioner supply grilles, or any other place air can come in.
Another way to ensure your home is efficient is through appliances. Using energy-efficient appliances can save you money on your electric bills. When purchasing new appliances, look for the Energy Star logo. This U.S. Department of Energy/EPA designation goes to appliances that use less energy to operate, and in return increase whole-house energy efficiency without compromising on performance. Refrigerators and freezers located in the garage are a huge energy consumer because of the hot environment they have to operate in.
You can also invest in a programmable thermostat that allows you to program energy-saving daily and weekly schedules for your cooling and heating, cutting back a couple of degrees when you’re not home. This way, you’re not cooling and heating the house as much when no one’s around, wasting energy. This can lower your bill tremendously, and before long you can recoup all or some of the price of the thermostat.
If you want to learn more about making your home as efficient as possible, contact us at Mathews CCAC Inc. We can tell you how to increase whole-house energy efficiency in your south Texas home and save money on future electric bills.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy efficiency and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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