With the celebration of Earth Day recently and spring cleaning on the minds of a lot of homeowners, it’s an ideal time to make homes more earth-friendly and energy efficient. The truth is, with only a few small, economical changes, homeowners could be on their way to saving 20% or more on monthly energy bills. Here, the home-efficiency professionals from Service Experts share tips on how to start saving today.
1. Purchase a Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat normally saves between 12% to 23% on an electricity bill, and it’s also a very good tool to lower carbon emissions from a residence. How do they do it? Smart thermostats do more than simply programming the time of day for your HVAC system to turn on or off. Several smart thermostats are intuitive and can recognize changes in consumption patterns and home activity. They can also be programmed remotely, and alert homeowners about changes that may impact their energy bill.
“This technology saves you money and also makes life easier,” explained Service Experts’ Lisa Lange. “It’s a low-cost way to improve energy efficiency in your home immediately.”
2. Hire a Professional to Perform a Heating and Cooling System Tune-Up
Before the summer heat begins, another eco-friendly move is to set up an air-conditioning system tune-up. This will help homeowners avoid major repairs during the busy season for HVAC service crews and a system that performs optimally minimizes reliance on fossil fuel energy sources.
A tune-up involves cleaning all of the system’s key components, as well as testing and making adjustments to the unit’s operating system. In addition to checking refrigerant levels and replacing clogged or dirty air filters, the condenser located outside the house should also be cleaned and checked.
“During your tune-up, it’s a great time to tap the expertise of an HVAC pro,” noted Lisa Lange. “We encourage customers to ask about thermostat settings, when to change air filters and bring any other questions they may have about the energy efficiency of their home.”
3. Add Insulation
Installing more insulation in a home is a green tip that could help save up to 20% on an electricity bill. In many homes, air leaks out through attics, crawl spaces and basements. If a room is drafty and has problems holding a consistent temperature, it may be time to examine the building's attic insulation. Cold floors could also be a sign that basement insulation isn’t satisfactory. All of these worries also lead to additional energy consumption, which leads to elevated carbon emissions.
“Many homeowners are surprised when they learn their home is under-insulated, but it’s actually quite common,” said Lange. “The good news is that, just like a smart thermostat, you can see the utility cost savings from this decision very quickly. You will also take comfort in knowing that you are helping improve our environment through reduced emissions.
4. Ensure Your Home Is Airtight
Windows, ductwork, light sockets and weather stripping around doors are all places in the home subject to leaks and heat loss or gain (in summer, no one wants muggy air seeping in). Let Earth Day be a signal to green up these areas of the house by doing some simple repairs. Upgrading old weather stripping and caulking around windows are two economical tasks that are reasonably easy to tackle, said Lange, and will lower the strain on HVAC systems and the electrical grid too.
5. Use an Energy Zoning System
To develop a comfort zoning system for a home, a certified HVAC specialist identifies zones in a house based on its layout, sun exposures and the amount of energy demand different areas have. The HVAC pro can then design a system that precisely distributes air throughout the home weighing comfort and energy efficiency. These systems usually utilize multiple thermostats and adjustments to the ductwork. When joined with a smart thermostat, they can dramatically improve comfort, save customers more than 30% on their energy bill and seriously reduce a home’s greenhouse gas emissions.
“How many times in a day do we heat or cool a room no one is using? It happens all the time, and it adds up to significant energy waste, and these systems are an optimal solution,” Lange said.
6. Install Energy-Efficient Light bulbs
If a homeowner’s budget doesn’t make it possible for major upgrades, replacing traditional incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient LEDs is a low-cost, eco-friendly decision with a huge impact on the environment. Many LEDs will last up to seven years and use about 90% less power than traditional bulbs.
7. Use Solar Energy
With some 30% in federal tax credits available to bring down the expense of a solar installation, there may never be a better time to install one on a home. Over their lifetime, these quality, energy-producing systems can yield an average savings of about $60,000 and greatly reduce a household's total carbon footprint.
“We have the best program in the country. Our experts will develop an energy savings plan that will help you get the most out of your system and show you’re making a direct positive impact on the environment,” Lange said.
For more information about ways to make a home more energy efficient, visit ServiceExperts.com.