Cutting your home energy bills can be relatively easy to do with a few common-sense practices that almost anybody can do. Below, you will find nine ways to lower your energy bills without a lot of effort.
- Turn off electronics when they’re not being used. Electronics can draw power even when they are not being used. By hooking multiple electronics up to a power strip, and turning it off when not in use, you can eliminate this energy-wasting problem.
- Put in new weatherstripping around doors and windows. As you know all too well, it can get frigidly cold in the Minneapolis area in the winter; prevent drafts by installing new weatherstripping in places where old seals have cracked or broken.
- Update your old appliances. Getting new energy-efficient appliances that use less electricity and gas can help lower your monthly energy bills for years into the future.
- Replace your open dryer vent with an airtight one. Dryer vents are an open link from the inside of your house to the outside. With an airtight vent, you can seal this link and keep warm air inside where you can feel it.
- Properly seal your home’s ductwork. Warm escaping air ducts do you no good if the air is not getting where it needs to go. Use mastic sealant or metal tape to seal leaky ducts. Wrap them with insulation where they run through unheated areas.
- Keep an eye on how much energy your house uses. Using an energy monitor can help you be more aware of when you’re using too much electrical power.
- Adjust your thermostat. In the summer, turning your air conditioner just a couple degrees higher can significantly reduce electricity usage and cut down on energy bills. The same strategy works in the winter; lower the thermostat three or four degrees. A programmable thermostat is a great way to control your temperatures.
- Put sufficient insulation in your attic. Keeping the warm air your furnace produces in your living spaces is easier with proper attic insulation.
- Plant more trees in your yard. It will block solar heat gain from your windows in the summer, and after the leaves shed, will allow that same solar heat to warm up your home’s interior.
Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning has been serving the Twin Cities area since 1974. Please contact us for more information on how we can assist you.
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Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about lowering home energy bills and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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