Practicing energy conservation in your home saves you money, protects the environment, and increases your property value. Here are some effective ways to conserve energy.
Upgrade Your Thermostat
You can minimize the wasteful energy use of an HVAC system without investing in a new one by upgrading your thermostat. With a smart thermostat, you can easily keep your home at an optimal temperature based on your schedule and automatically or remotely adjust the temperature when you’re away to avoid using more natural gas or electricity than necessary.
Ensure Your House Is Properly Insulated
A home that’s not adequately insulated makes the HVAC system work harder than it should, translating to higher energy costs. Proper insulation helps keep outdoor heat out of your house in the summer and retains indoor heat in the winter. In other words, this is one of the great ways to conserve energy. The areas where you should consider adding insulation are:
- Attic
- Floors
- Walls
- Basement
- Crawl space
- Air ducts
Upgrade the HVAC System
The HVAC system accounts for more than 40% of a home’s energy use. Upgrading to a modern Energy Star-certifiedfurnace and air-conditioning unit can lead to a dramatic improvement in your heating and cooling bills. Heating and cooling units that have been certified by the federal Energy Star program are more energy-efficient than the conventional models.
Furnaces are usually integrated with AC systems, so you should consider purchasing your new air conditioner and furnace simultaneously to enable your AC system to function at maximum energy efficiency.
Turn Off Appliances When They’re Not Needed
Simply turning off appliances or lights when you don’t need is one of the great ways to conserve energy. You could also perform certain household tasks manually to reduce how much you use some energy-intensive appliances. For example, you could wash dishes by hand or hang-dry your laundry.
Every small step you take toward conserving energy at home will help you enjoy more of the benefits of an energy-efficient house. For more ways to conserve energy, contact the heating and cooling experts at Ace Hardware Home Services. We’ve helped Dayton-area homeowners keep their homes comfortable and energy-efficient for 43 years.
