Ever look at a vent and get frustrated because it just “isn’t in the best place” so the couch covers some of it, or maybe a cabinet now hides it? What this does is impede the airflow of your system making it work harder and burn more energy.
If your home has an older unit, it may be in fact wasting not only the heat it makes but burning more energy as well. Older units are not as efficient as the units built today are, and as they’ve aged, they have lost capability which costs you more in energy.
Remember when mom used to say put on a sweater? Well, she wasn’t wrong. Some of our habits can cause energy use to fluctuate all year. If you put your thermostat down when you leave, then push it up when you return your system burns more energy to get to the temperature. A Smart Thermostat can track your energy use but keeping your system well-tuned and at a consistent temperature can also keep energy use down.
One thing Efficient Air does when replacing/installing a new unit measures your windows. Because 25% – 30% of energy is lost through your windows, we design our units to compensate for that loss. But even more, energy can be lost from your home if it does not have proper insulation (roof, walls, floors) or is not properly sealed (doorways, windows, light switches)
When the weather warms, we put screens in the windows to cool off, but what do we do in the winter? Weatherproofing your home can help reduce energy costs by keeping the warmth inside.
It’s not just the thermostat controlling your energy use, your hot water heater may be using more energy than it should. If your water heater is set too high, it can be using too much energy. There are many different types of water heaters with numerous settings and ways to keep energy use low and the water hot.
One cause for rising prices is demand, if more people are using a resource the price will go up. Having supplemental heating and cooling in the home that runs off different energy sources can help to augment an energy bill. Mini-split systems are one way to help an existing HVAC system keep up with demand while alleviating your gas/oil bill.