The holiday season has finally arrived. As the expectancy of the season increases, so do your energy bills. While installing festive lights and staying warm becomes your top priority, you must not fail to pay proper attention to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units. High efficiency of your HVAC units means savings on your energy bills.
Here are ways you could make your homes energy-efficient, thus, bringing down your energy bills this winter.
Clean or replace filters.
Nothing beats a clean and new filter. If your filters are too dirty and damaged, the blower will have to work harder to push air through, so it’s better that you replace them instead. Clean filters will ensure good airflow and filter particles like dust that could damage the HVAC system. An energy-efficient HVAC system will consume less energy and reduce your utility bills.
Weatherize your home.
Optimize your HVAC’s energy efficiency. Holes in doors and windows and leaks in ducts of the HVAC system increase energy waste. If air leaks through your window or doors, your HVAC system will work double-time. Seal and caulk the openings in windows, doors, and ducts. Improve your ventilation by putting your fan in winter mode. It reverses the direction of the fan blades and circulates the warm air that stays near the ceiling throughout the rooms. Keep blinds open in rooms to allow natural light to shine through and give you extra heat at no cost. Remember to close the blinds when the sun goes down to trap heat inside. While you can maintain the desired temperature, these simple tips can ease the workload of your HVAC system.
Turn the thermostat down.
During the festive season, more people in your home means more heat generated inside, so you don’t need to turn up your thermostats. On the other hand, you may want to turn it down, since the body heat and heat from appliances you will be using a lot this season can make up for the needed heat inside the house. As a solution for your guests who will still feel cold, think of giving blankets and non-slip socks as gifts to them to fight the cold and make them feel comfortable. Use your home’s fireplace for warmth. If you need to leave your house, don’t turn your heating system off. Turning it down by a few degrees is a way to cut back on your energy bills this season because you don’t need to spend too much energy heating your home up again when you come back, which can put a lot of strain on your HVAC system that will contribute to higher energy bills and might even strain your units and cost you extra expenses this holiday season.
Insulate water heater.
Insulate your water heater and the exposed water pipes connected to the heater, especially the first 2 meters, to minimize unnecessary heat loss. Water heating amounts to an average of 12% of a household’s energy consumption. Reducing your water heating expenses by having an efficient heater is suggested.
Consult an HVAC technician.
The more efficiently the components of your HVAC system are working, the lower your utility bills will be for you. Performing maintenance can catch issues on your system before they even become serious issues that could increase our expenses this season. Ask an HVAC technician to inspect your HVAC system to ensure unnecessary energy wastage.