While all energy-efficiency upgrades to your Dayton area home will save you money on your utility bills, some are more popular with prospective home buyers than others. Upgrading features that lower the operating costs of the house are typically good investments.
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that by performing some energy-efficient upgrades to your home, you can save around 25 percent on your annual utility bills.
One of the upgrades that you might consider is replacing your existing HVAC equipment. Older furnaces typically have AFUE ratings around 60 percent. AFUE, or annual fuel utilization efficiency, basically measures the amount of fuel a furnace converts into heat. So a furnace that has 60 percent AFUE rating is wasting 40 percent of the fuel that it consumes. This can have a big impact on your utility bills. The federal government currently has an AFUE 78 percent minimum standard for residential, fuel-burning furnaces, and that number is expected to rise to 90 percent for the northern U.S. in the next year or two. High-efficiency condensing furnaces run from AFUE 90-98 percent.
In addition to the HVAC equipment, it pays to give some attention to the ductwork in your home. If it’s improperly sized, sealed or insulated, it can be a source of air leaks and energy loss that will drive up your energy bills.
Other energy-efficiency upgrades that can help you improve the resale value of your home include replacing old windows with new, more energy-efficient windows. Ill-fitting sliding and regular doors – perhaps askew because of house-shifting over the years – should also be replaced.
Before you consider putting your house on the market, or even if you plan on living in your home for years to come, having an energy audit performed on your home is a good idea. A professional auditor can inspect your home and find trouble spots. This will identify areas where you should consider making improvements.
For more information about energy-efficiency upgrades to your Dayton area home, or other home comfort related questions, please contact us at Ace Hardware Home Services, Inc.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio 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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