As a heating and furnace repair company that serves Toms River, and other surrounding areas, we know that cooling and heating a home uses more energy and costs more money than other systems in a home. However, if you consider energy-efficient improvements, you will not only see long-term financial rewards, but you will also make your home more comfortable, and possibly find that you can sell your home for much more if you decide to move.
If you are looking for some heating and cooling tips to keep in mind at any time of the year and that will help to keep your home more energy-efficient, consider the following:
- If you are on the verge of having a new heating and cooling system installed, select one that is energy-efficient. You can even ask your contractor to provide you with some information on the different designs, models, and types out there so that you can compare them.
- Acquire a programmable thermostat, and set it to a “comfortable” level during the winter and summer. Most of us do not need our homes to be extremely cold in the summer and hot in the winter. Plus, you can set the temperature to be different at night, while you are at work, etc., so that you do not waste energy while you are out or sleeping.
- Replace and/or clean filters once a month or as recommended.
- Clean radiators, baseboard heaters, and air registers as needed and make sure that they are not blocked by anything.
- During the winter, keep your shades and draperies on your south-facing windows open during the day to let the sunlight in. Also, keep them closed at night to help limit the cold air from getting in.
- If it is an extremely hot summer day, make sure all of your window coverings are closed (if possible), to prevent the sunlight from getting in and heating up your home.
Although there are many different types of fuels available to heat homes, more than 50% of them still use natural gas. But, no matter what kind of cooling and heating system you have, you can increase comfort and save money by properly maintaining and/or upgrading your home’s equipment as necessary. In fact, by combining proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with recommended thermostat settings, insulation, and air sealing, you can surely cut your energy use and even reduce environmental emissions!