Guide To Making Your Home More Energy Efficient

Did you know?

• After mortgage payments and property taxes, utility bills are the third-largest monthly cost for the typical homeowner – and the only one over which the homeowner has some sort of control. On average, energy and water bills account for nearly 20% of the total cost of owning a home.
• Heating and air conditioning is largest home energy expense, consuming nearly 56% of a household’s utility budget.
• Studies have shown that the heating and air-conditioning ducts in the average home leak 30% of the conditioned air in the system.

What can you do to make your home more efficient?

Heating and Air Conditioning

Invest in an energy efficient HVAC. An energy efficient HVAC will not only save you money but also reduce carbon pollution and greenhouse gases.

Insulation

Adding proper insulation is a one-time cost that pays off through energy savings and lower utility bills. Improving insulation to your home could save you around 20% on your heating and cooling costs.

Windows and Doors

Older windows and doors can be responsible for air leaks. Replacing older windows with energy efficient ones can result in savings of over $400 annually.

Solar Panels

Home solar panels may help reduce your energy bill by offsetting the highest usage period.

Air seal your home

Sealing cracks, gaps and leaks and adding insulation can save up to 10% on home heating and cooling costs.

Clean or replace all filters

Clean or replace all filters in your home regularly. Dirty filters make your system work harder and run longer than necessary.

Adjust thermostat

Set your thermostat to 78F in the summer and 68F in the winter - every degree of extra heating or cooling will increase energy usage 6% to 8%. Setting your thermostat to a lower temperature than normal will not cool your home faster.

Close blinds

During warmer months, close blinds, shades and drapes on the sunny side of your home to help keep your home's temperature cooler and reduce the work for you AC. Open shades during cooler months to let the sun warm your home.

Use ceiling fans

Using your ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4°F with no reduction in comfort.

Energy Efficient Products

Select energy-efficient products when you buy new cooling equipment. Look for the ENERGY STAR when purchasing new products.

Conclusion

Home energy is critical to paying less for living in your home and total home efficiency must be looked at to identify issues. At Poppy Energy, we specialize in duct leakage testing, blower door envelope testing and more. These tests identify issues within the HVAC duct system and gaps/cracks and other envelope problems in a home. Contact us for a free test quote and have the experts analyze your home.