Heating Energy Saving Tips
Even though there are various types of fuels are available to heat our homes, over half of all the homes in the United States use natural gas.
No matter what type of heating system you use, you can save money by simply maintaining and upgrading your equipment. However, installing an energy-efficient furnace will not have a tremendous impact on your energy bills if you do not take the necessary steps to properly insulate your home. Saving energy requires a whole-house approach. This means doing the proper maintenance, installing the necessary upgrades, as well as having the appropriate amount of insulation installed in your home. In addition, you need to seal all cracks and set your thermostat settings back. You can reduce your energy bills by as much as 20 to 50% by taking the necessary measures.
Heating Energy Saving Tips:
• Set your thermostat as low as comfortable in the winter.
• Clean or replace filters on your furnace once a month or as needed.
• Make sure that you clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed.
• Do not place furniture, carpeting, or drapes where they will block your registers, baseboard heater, or radiators.
• Bleed your hot-water radiators once or twice a season to release taped air. (If you are not sure how to do this, contact a professional.)
• Install heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators.
• Turn off your exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you have finished cooking or bathing. When it’s time to replace exhaust fans, consider installing high-efficiency, low-noise models.
• During the winter months, keep draperies and shades open on south facing windows. This will allow more sunlight to enter as well as more heat. Make sure to close drapes and shades at night to reduce drafts from cold windows.
• Install energy efficient windows, or storm windows.
• Choose energy-efficient products when replacing heating and cooling equipment. For furnaces, you want to look for high Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) ratings. The national minimum is 78% AFUE. However, there are several Energy Star models currently on the market with rating of over 90% AFUE.
For more information on Energy Star products please visit: www.energystar.gov
Posted in All about heating