There are many people that have always been environmentally aware. These people have managed to keep their energy bills low by adding solar panels to their homes or using other types of environment friendly things that will help in lowering the cost of heating and cooling their homes. Nowadays, with the price of utility bills ont he rise, even those who are not environmentally aware have started looking for ways to lower those month energy bills. Here are a few tips to help you achieve that goal.
Keeping your home cool during the hot summer months and warm in the cold winter months depends on different things. Do you have an older or newer home? How large is your home? Is it a one story or two story? If it is a two story, do you have a thermostat for the lower area and the upper area or just one thermostat for the entire house? Do you have central air and heat or do you use several air conditioners in the summertime? These are the questions that should be addressed first and foremost.
If you have an older home, chances are there will be more places for the cool and hot air to seep out of, depending on how well the home has been maintained throughout the years. Your bills will also depend on if you have ever replaced your hot water tank, air conditioner (or if you have central air), or furnace. Older homes which are still using the furnaces, air conditioners or hot water tanks that came with the home may use more energy since they are older. Consider replacing these if they are old. It might cost you now, but in the long run, you will be better off as your utility bills go down.
Insulation is another thing you need to be aware of in your home. Your parents older home may use less energy to heat or cool than your newer home does simply because there are many builders who try to cut costs by not using as much insulation as they should. However, if the builder did their job right and you have a newer home, you might have lower bills than your parents older home.
The best thing to do is to check to see just how much insulation your home has in the attic or along the roof. If there is not a lot of insulation, you might consider adding more. Adding insulation is usually a fairly easy job, however, if you do not think you will be able to do it or you are allergic to the insulation, then you might want to hire a professional for this job.
If you have a large family that is constantly using hot water due to washing clothes, dishes or taking showers, then you need to make sure that you have a large enough hot water tank. Having too small of a hot water tank for a large family will up your energy bill. The hot water tank will be working 24/7 in order to keep hot water inside, causing it to run all the time. By replacing the smaller tank with a large one, you will defnitely notice a large drop in your energy bills.
Are you using window unit air conditioners instead of central air? Again, it might be a good idea to invest in getting your home central air conditioning since window units use up more electricity. If you cannot afford to have this done, since it is a very expensive undertaking, then you will need to make sure that your air conditioners are clean of dust and are well maintained. This maintenance includes making sure that the air vents are clear and clean, that the unit has plenty of room to drain and that the filters are regularly changed so that they are not dirty. These are simple things that can be accomplished in minutes, yet will take lots of money off your energy bill every month.
This rule does not apply to window air conditioning units only. If you have central heat and air, you need to make sure that the filters are replaced on your furnace and air conditioning units as well. Also, make sure to clean out all of the vents throughout the entire house. By cleaning and maintaining these things, your air conditioner or furnace will run with much more efficiency. This will not only save you money on your heating and air conditioning bills, but will also save you from having to have the units replaced or repaired.
It does not matter whether you think your furnace or air conditioning units are running well or not. Just because your units are putting out heat and cool air, that does not mean it is not working extra hard to do this because of certain problems. So do not wait until they break down completely before checking them out. By then, it will be too late. Instead, check them out each and every year. This may take a little time and effort but it will be worth it in the long run.
