Being in the business of making homes more efficient, I can say there are no miracle ways to reduce your energy bills. There are however steps a person can take, some as cheap as 5 dollars and some major improvements can reach tens of thousands of dollars. If you just leaned back in your chair and said anything like TENS OF THOUSAND, that is not for me I have good news. In this article, I will go over the most important areas and briefly discuss the steps to take to fix it.
Weatherize and Seal
Since your AC and Heat are responsible for 50% of your utility bills, anything you do to keep your unit from cycling on will save money. The main job of your AC is to remove heat and the Heating system is to replace heat. The number one problem in every house, especially older ones, is the overall sealing of the structure. Air infiltration from a non temperature controlled space into a temperature controlled area of your house will cost you the most out of your yearly utility bills.
Some areas that typically leak are
- Doors
- Window Frames
- Chimney flues
- Recessed Light Canisters
- AC Duct Ceiling Boxes
- Wiring and Plumbing entrances from the attic
- AC Duct Connections (The AC/heating unit, junction boxes and ceiling boxes)
I receive questions from people that worry about over sealing their home. When they think about over sealing they end up avoiding the area completely. I'm not in any way saying this is not an area of concern, it should be kept in mind but for most general sealing, that is anything you could readily get to will not even be close to the point of over sealing.
Change a Light Bulb
This is a given, let me explain. Compact Fluorescent lightbulbs are a must, with the advancements of newer bulbs and cheaper prices there is really NO reason to buy a incandescent bulb.
CFL's compared to Regular Incandescent
- CFL's use 1/3 the energy
- Last seven to ten years
- Run significantly cooler which is a very big deal because your AC doesn't have to run to remove the extra heat.
- They pay for themselves numerous times, as much as six times compares to an incandescent.
Install a Water Heater Timer
Electric Water Heaters use more energy than any other appliance in a home. Anything you do to keep this from turning on will have a measurable effect. A tank style Water Heater is a huge waste of energy, older water heaters turn on ten minutes every hour just to maintain water temperature. Install a water heater timer to shut the unit off like at night or in the middle of the day if no one is home.
Wrap your Water Heater With a Thermal Blanket
A water heater blanket will help your water heater maintain a steady temperature for longer. Working together with a timer (on your electric heater) can maintain water that is hot enough to take a shower up to 48 hours. This is a cheap way to save 5 to 10 dollars per month with a 25 dollar investment.
Programmable Thermostat
Programmable Thermostat will maintain a comfortable temperature when you are home and automatically raise and lower the temperature when you are away. Remember the climate control in your home is responsible for 50% of your yearly utility bills.
I will explain other products with more detail in future post. Some require a little more of an investment but for now the techniques I explained should be good for at least a 20% reduction in your utility bills. That is 40 dollars per month on your 200.00 per month utility bills.
I believe the effect to the steps listed above are a good way to start.
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