With the celebration of Earth Day recently and spring cleaning on the minds of a lot of homeowners, it’s an ideal time to make homes more earth-friendly and energy efficient. The truth is, with only a few small, affordable changes, homeowners could be on their way to saving 20% or more on monthly energy expenses. Here, the home-efficiency pros from Service Experts share tricks on how to start saving today.
1. Purchase a Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat normally saves between 12% to 23% on an energy bill, and it’s also a great tool to cut down on carbon emissions from a home. How do they do it? Smart thermostats do more than only programming the time of day for the heating or cooling system to turn on or off. A number of smart thermostats are intuitive and can detect changes in power use patterns and home activity. They can also be programmed remotely, and alert homeowners about changes that may impact their energy bill.
“This technology saves you money and also makes life easier,” stated Service Experts’ Lisa Lange. “It’s a low-cost way to improve energy efficiency in your home immediately.”
2. Schedule a Heating and Cooling System Tune-Up
Before the summer heat begins, another eco-friendly move is to set up routine maintenance for your air-conditioning system. Routine maintenance will help homeowners avoid significant repairs during the busy season for HVAC service crews and a system that performs optimally minimizes reliance on fossil fuel energy sources.
A routine servicing involves cleaning all of the system’s important components, as well as testing and making adjustments to the unit’s operating system. In addition to checking refrigerant levels and replacing clogged or dirty air filters, the outdoor condenser should also be cleaned and examined.
“During your tune-up, it’s a great time to tap the expertise of an HVAC pro,” said Lisa Lange. “We encourage customers to ask about thermostat settings, when to change air filters and bring any other questions they may have about the energy efficiency of their home.”
3. Add Insulation
Putting insulation in a home is a green tip that could help save up to 20% on an energy bill. In many residences, air escapes through attics, crawl spaces and basements. If a room is drafty and has difficulty keeping a consistent temperature, it may be time to examine the building's attic insulation. Cold floors might also be a sign that basement insulation isn’t at the level you really need it to be. All of these problems also lead to higher energy consumption, which leads to elevated carbon emissions.
“Many homeowners are surprised when they learn their home is under-insulated, but it’s actually quite common,” said Lange. “The good news is that, just like a smart thermostat, you can see the utility cost savings from this decision very quickly. You will also take comfort in knowing that you are helping improve our environment through reduced emissions.
4. Make Sure Your Residence Is Airtight
Windows, ductwork, light sockets and weather stripping around doors are all areas of the home prone to leaks and heat loss or gain (in summer, no one wants muggy air seeping in). Let Earth Day be a signal to green up these areas of the house by embarking on some easy repairs. Swapping out old weather stripping and caulking around windows are two inexpensive tasks that are fairly easy to tackle, said Lange, and will lessen the load on HVAC systems and the electrical grid too.
5. Use an Energy Zoning System
To develop a comfort zoning system for a home, a certified HVAC professional identifies locations in a house based on its layout, sun exposures and the amount of energy demand different areas require. The HVAC pro can then design a system that precisely distributes air through the home balancing comfort and energy efficiency. These systems usually utilize numerous thermostats and adjustments to the ductwork. When paired with a smart thermostat, they can drastically improve comfort, save customers more than 30% on their energy bill and seriously reduce a home’s greenhouse gas emissions.
“How many times in a day do we heat or cool a room no one is using? It happens all the time, and it adds up to significant energy waste, and these systems are an optimal solution,” Lange said.
6. Buy Energy-Efficient Light bulbs
If a homeowner’s spending plan doesn't make it possible for major upgrades, replacing regular incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient LEDs is an affordable, eco-friendly decision with a huge impact on the environment. Most LEDs will last up to seven years and use about 90% less energy than traditional bulbs.
7. Consider Solar Energy
With up to 30% in federal tax credits available to bring down the expense of a solar installation, there may never be a better time to install one on a home. Over their lifetime, these quality, energy-producing systems can generate an average savings of about $60,000 and greatly reduce your home's cumulative carbon footprint.
“We have the best program in the country. Our experts will develop an energy savings plan that will help you get the most out of your system and show you’re making a direct positive impact on the environment,” Lange said.
For additional information about how to make a home more energy efficient, visit ServiceExperts.com.