You probably know how much you spend each month on your energy bills, but unless you know how much you use for each of your home’s systems, it’s hard to identify ways to stem energy loss. When you know what proportion of your energy bills goes toward each use or piece of equipment, you can prioritize your plan to improve energy efficiency.
Heating and Cooling
The U.S. Department of Energy states that 45 percent of your energy use goes toward heating and cooling your home. In the Twin Cities, most of those expenses happen in the winter for home heating, because our winters are so long and cold. Energy losses occur in forced-air systems through heat lost in un-insulated or leaky ducts. Both can create substantial drains on your energy budget but the good news is that addressing these problems is relatively straightforward.
Adding insulation to the attic or basement reduces the heating load, as does insulating ducts that run through unconditioned parts of your home. Sealing air leaks keeps cold winds from cooling your home or warm air from escaping.
Water Heating
Next to conditioning the air in your home, your water heater uses the most energy, or about 11 percent of your utility expenditures. You can turn the heat down to 120 degrees and wrap the water heater with an insulating blanket to prevent standby losses. Insulating the pipes throughout your home also reduces energy losses.
Washers and Dishwashers
The washer, dryer and dishwasher use a combined 12 percent of the energy in a typical home. A washer and dishwasher use the same amount of power regardless of the size of the load, so running full loads cuts energy losses. Washing clothing in cold water also lowers your energy bills. Replacing old appliances with Energy Star-labeled products also cuts energy expenses.
Lighting
Short days in the Twin Cities in the winter require more interior lighting. Use CFL or LED lights to reduce your energy bills.
Marsh Heating & Air Conditioningprovides heating and air conditioning services in the region and can show you how you can increase the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems to reduce your energy bills. Please contact us to learn more.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy loss and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Marsh Heating and Air Conditioning services Minnesota’s Twin Cities. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!