Here in the Dayton/Springfield area many of us use our home comfort systems year-round, so we never get a break from high utility bills. There are ways to cut those bills down to size, however.
By taking a little time to make sure your home is energy efficient, you can keep those bills low and save more of your hard-earned money. The Energy Star program has come up with a great tool to help you. The Home Energy Yardstick allows you to compare your energy use to that of other households across the country to see where you stand.
Simply gather your utility bills form the last year. You will need to list the energy sources used in your house, such as gas and electricity, heating oil, or wood, etc. and the size (square footage) of your house. You will enter your Zip Code, then enter amount of energy used and the cost from each monthly bill. The tool will calculate an energy efficiency score to give you an idea of how well your home measures up to the average homes in the US. The tool provides some very interesting results and takes into account weather in your area for a reliable result.
Once you have your score, another online tool called the Home Energy Advisor will suggest ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency for energy savings. The tool’s recommendations are detailed and include instructions on how to accomplish them.The Home Energy Advisor also advises you to call on a local HVAC professional for the big jobs, or for an assessment of your entire home called a home energy audit.
If you need help with any of the energy savings recommendations from Energy Star or just some good advice for your particular home situation, contact the experts at Ace Hardware Home Services. We are intimately familiar with all the local heating and cooling issues (and building codes) unique to our area and are happy to help. We’ll put our three generations of knowledge and experience in the Miami Valley to work for your family.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Ace Hardware Home Services services the Ohio’s Miami Valley. To get started, check out our website or request an appointment.
