Winter’s over and while high heating bills are slowly receding, the arrival of spring and summer will bring their costs. However, there are many ways you can decrease your home’s energy consumption. Here are a few ideas, most of which are very inexpensive to carry out:
Spring Energy Savings
- You can use natural ventilation to cool your home in the morning when it starts warming up outside. Similarly, you should close your curtains or shades on the sunny side of your home in the afternoon, unless you need solar heating on a cool spring day.
- You can install ceiling fans to make your rooms feel cooler. While fans don’t lower your home’s temperature, the wind-chill effect can make your air feel cooler. You can raise your A/C temperature a few degrees without feeling any comfort loss, or you can leave your A/C off on a mild spring day. When your A/C is off, you’re saving both energy and money.
- Make sure to seal air leaks in your home’s exterior envelope, and check weather-stripping on doors and windows, replacing any worn or brittle areas. Then, use caulk or spray foam to seal other leaks around your windows and doors, as well as where plumbing and electrical wires penetrate your home’s walls.
- Upgrade to a programmable thermostat. There’s no reason to completely cool or heat an unoccupied home. You can set energy-saving temperatures when you’re at work and time the thermostat to return your home to cool comfort before you arrive home.
- You can schedule annual maintenance for your A/C or heat pump to decrease energy consumption at home this spring. A reputable HVAC technician will make sure your system is ready for another hot New Jersey summer.
For more information on saving more energy in your Northern New Jersey home this spring, please contact Pipe Works Services