As utility bills start to increase with the summer heat, the same question crosses the minds of many people when they see what they owe their utility company every month. They want to know how to make that cost smaller. Having a more energy efficient home is an important step.
No matter how energy efficient you believe a house is, there’s always room for improvement. Here are some things you can do to improve the energy efficiency of your home:
Cover the Holes
There are often holes that homeowners don’t see. Whether it’s around windows, doors or any other openings, even tiny holes around the house can let air out of your home and cause your A/C unit to work harder.
There are some solutions for this. You can weather strip the doors of your home to eliminate any room for air to escape. Around your windows, you can use caulk around your window frames to seal air leaks and create a more energy efficient home.
Improve Your Insulation
Older homes were usually built with less insulation than today’s new homes have. If you’re in an older home, adding insulation can decrease your utility bill. A routine energy audit can check the insulation and point out where it could be needed in your home. If you don’t want an audit, it’s important to check what type of insulation is in your home and the thickness of it.
This process can be done either by a professional or by the homeowner before deciding whether or not insulation should be added.
Look at Your Appliances
Appliances can sometimes be to blame for a lofty utility bill. If you aren’t using energy efficient appliances, making that switch alone could see a drastic impact on your utility bill.
It’s also important to consider when you’re running appliances. Using the washing machine, dishwasher, dryer or any other appliance that gives off heat in the middle of the day is a bad decision during the hot months of the year. This creates more heat in your home and forces the A/C unit to work harder to maintain a cooler temperature in the home.
Consider Your Yard for an Energy Efficient Home
Adding some plants to your yard can improve your utility bill. First, consider where the sun hits your home in different parts of the day. In the late afternoon when it’s usually the hottest, you can plant trees outside your home where the sun is hitting it. This creates more shade around the home and keeps temperatures lower on the inside, which means less running for the A/C unit.
The shade can be especially important around areas of the home with large or many windows. Shade will keep the sun from shining straight into the windows and making life harder on your A/C unit. The shade can help create a more energy efficient home.
Have Your A/C Unit Checked
Preventative maintenance on your A/C unit is always a good idea, but that’s especially in the case if you want to lower your utility bill and create a more energy efficient home. There can be problems with the unit that you aren’t aware of, but a professional in the industry can spot them. Even a simple cleaning of the system by a professional can result in a cheaper bill.
At Stellar Services, we offer preventative maintenance services, along with any of your other A/C needs. Call us at (352) 290-4919 or send us a message on our website to set up an appointment.
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