7 Ways Of Reducing Heating And Cooling Costs At Your Home

Did you know that your AC can increase your home’s energy consumption by nearly 50%? And are you aware that you can lessen the impact of the air conditioner by doing some major or minor changes in and around the home? You can achieve reduce heating and cooling expenses at your home by following these seven steps:

1. Invest in a Programmable Thermostat

When it comes to saving money when trying to heat and cool your home, you will benefit more from investing in a programmable thermostat. It is not uncommon to forget turning off the system or set the temperature to a certain degree, that is why a programmable thermostat is an ideal feature to include in your air conditioning system.

You can set it to automatically control and manage the heating and cooling of your home when in or away. The thermostat can shut off the system during the day and start about an hour or so before you get home.

It works in different ways. For instance, it can stop the compressor once the room temperature reaches a set level so that the AC does not keep working when not needed, thus aiding in lowering energy consumption.

To set up the thermostat for maximum savings, have run at around 78° Fahrenheit (25° Celsius) when you are indoors and running at a high temperature when you are not home. With the AC also being able to expel indoor humidity, it is possible for the home to feel cooler when its 25° outside.

2. Clean Your AC Filters Regularly

Cleaning the AC is the next essential thing that helps lower the power demand and electricity bills. Dust, dirt, and fiber will find their way into the system and clog up the filter making the AC work twice or thrice as hard as it should to deliver the desired temperature setting.

Cleaning the air conditioning system, which will include repairs and replacing worn out parts such as the filter. Cleaning should be done every other month.

3. Close All The Vents In The Lower Areas Of Your House

Hot air rises pushing the cold air down, that is why the upper floors in a storied home will feel relatively warmer while the ground floors are cool, and the basement will feel like the coldest place. You can manage the flow or hot and cold air in your home by closing the vent in the lower rooms so that you can redirect the cold air to the warmer sections. It will help even out the temperatures, thus lowering the need to run the AC for an extended period.

4. Use Ceiling Fans for Air Circulation

Installing ceiling fans can help reduce the dependence on the heating and cooling system, thus aid in saving energy. For instance, the fans can help in the circulation of air during the warmer days taking away the need to use the AC. It can make a room feel 8 degrees cooler by keeping the air moving.

5. Schedule HVAC Check-up Annually

You should have your AC unit inspected by HVAC experts regularly. The technicians will examine the entire system and remove accumulated dust, dirt, and debris that may lower is efficiency. They also will do repairs and replacements where necessary. You should not think of their services as an added expense to that of the heat and cooling of your home. The costs of what they offer are offset by having a low-energy demanding air conditioning system in your home.

Moreover, you will be paying for a service once a year and compared to the monthly bills you face when heating and cooling your home. To reduce energy bills why not have an energy audit?

6. Seal Crevices and Cracks

Sealing up cracks and crevices in and around your windows and doors can help increase the efficiency of your AC. You can do this if you have a caulking gun, and you do not need to have any exceptional skills. Seal up such spaces will keep the hot air from escaping and the cold air from finding its way into your house. Applying weather stripping for the doors and windows will come in handy in your efforts to lower the energy bill.

7. Close The Drapes

Vehicles get very hot when left out under the sun. The same effect can also be seen on homes. Direct sunlight that enters through the windows, roof lanterns and skylights is converted into heat once it is inside the house. So, drawing back the drapes and blinds for the windows that face west or east (direct sunlight) can help manage the indoor temperatures during the day, thus lower the need to run the AC.

Salman Zafar

Salman Zafar is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of EcoMENA. He is a consultant, ecopreneur and journalist with expertise across in waste management, renewable energy, environment protection and sustainable development. Salman has successfully accomplished a wide range of projects in the areas of biomass energy, biogas, waste-to-energy, recycling and waste management. He has participated in numerous conferences and workshops as chairman, session chair, keynote speaker and panelist. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management and environmental sustainability across the globe Salman Zafar can be reached at salman@ecomena.org

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