6 Tips for Energy-Efficient Heating This Winter
With rising heating costs and concerns for the environment, many Raleigh-area homeowners are looking for ways to reduce their use of heating and its associated costs this winter. Overall, a well-maintained heating system, combined with proper air sealing and insulation, can help you save money on your energy bills.
Here are some tips from our Raleigh HVAC technicians that can help you reduce your energy usage and keep your heating bills down this winter.
Adjust Your Thermostat
Keeping your home's temperature at 75 degrees all day and night may be convenient, but it's inefficient and expensive — especially if you're out of the house for 40 or more hours a week. Changing the temperature of your thermostat before you leave for the day and before you go to bed means you'll reduce the reliance on your furnace for the hours when you don't need it as much.
While you can manually adjust your thermostat every day, you run the risk of forgetting to turn it down before you leave for work or go to bed, wasting valuable energy. Instead, consider getting a programmable thermostat that allows you to set routines that engage automatically so you don't have to think about changing the temperature.
If a programmable thermostat isn't in the budget this winter, consider setting alarms on your phone to remind you when to adjust your thermostat and reduce the chances that you'll forget.
Stop Energy Leaks
Sometimes, high heating usage isn't about the amount of energy you're actually using, but about how much you're losing to leaks. Your home loses an estimated 33 percent of its heat through doors and windows. Decreasing the amount of energy you're losing will help decrease your energy use and, as a result, your energy bills.
Start by sealing up any cracks around your doors and windows with caulk. If you don't already have curtains and blinds on your doors and windows, adding some can help keep cold air out and warm air in.
The next step up is ensuring your home has proper insulation. Attics, closets and crawl spaces are notoriously poorly insulated, especially in older homes, so checking these areas first could maximize your impact. Weatherizing your home properly can save you about 30 percent on your energy bill.
If you're wanting to tackle a big project in the spring and summer that will make a huge difference to your energy usage next winter, consider replacing your doors and windows with more energy-efficient models. Older doors and windows don't hold heat inside as well, and replacing them with newer models can decrease your energy losses and reduce your bills.
Get a Furnace Tune-Up
Your furnace takes on a lot of potential dirt, dust and hair, and making sure it's clean and ready to flow warm air throughout your home is essential to efficient winter heating. Having an HVAC professional look over your system, check the furnace filters and ensure everything is working well can go a long way toward reducing your energy bills and usage this winter.
A well-maintained heating system can use up to 25 percent less fuel than a neglected one.
In the Raleigh area, call Heating + Air Paramedics of Raleigh for your winter HVAC tune-up. Our technicians come and check over your system, including:
Checking your furnace filters and replacing them as needed
Run your system to check for issues
Cleaning the burners to prevent soot buildup
Checking the blower motor
We make recommendations for any further repairs or maintenance your furnace may need to keep it running smoothly.
Clean Vents and Registers
Just like a dirty furnace is going to run less efficiently, dirty vents and registers won't push hot air out into your home efficiently. This will cause your furnace to work harder to get your home up to temperature, leaving you feeling cold and with high bills.
As you're vacuuming your floors, take a few minutes to look at the registers and vents in your home. If they appear clogged by dust and debris, vacuum them off carefully.
Additionally, check where your furniture and other items are located, ensuring they're not blocking any vents or floor registers. Rearrange things to keep them clear for proper airflow and even heating.
Consider a Home Energy Audit
Taking the time and effort to identify the areas of your home where you lose the most heat will give you a list of upgrades and adjustments you can make to have the most impact on your energy loss. While you could do this yourself, spending a few hundred dollars — the national average is just over $400 — for a professional to conduct the audit will be well worth it.
Your home energy auditors will find the areas where you lose the most heat, typically around doors and windows, or in your aging furnace system, and put them at the top of your priority list to tackle. They'll also look at other items such as attic insulation, leaks from cracks in your walls and other areas.
You'll get a report of your biggest energy loss areas, all recommended upgrades and, depending on the provider, that list may be ordered by amount of impact on your energy bills or cost of the upgrade.
Plan for System Upgrades
If you have an aging or inefficient furnace, this winter may not be the right time to upgrade. However, you can spend these cold months researching new systems and saving up for the purchase.
ENERGY STAR-rated furnaces and heat pumps may be more expensive, but the energy savings you'll enjoy from these high-efficiency systems will pay off over the years of operation. Energy-efficient systems often have longer lifespans than traditional systems, making them a smart financial investment over time. Energy-efficient systems also generally emit fewer greenhouse gases and pollutants, lowering carbon footprints and contributing to a healthier environment.
Other things to consider adding or upgrading in the warmer months in preparation for next winter include:
Wood burning fireplaces (these may not be the most efficient for a whole home, but they could be less expensive to operate)
Radiant floor heating systems (these provide efficient and even heat distribution throughout your home)
Energy-efficient doors and windows
Adding or upgrading your insulation
Solar heating systems
Biomass heaters
Taking the time to research your new system options, look into your local HVAC replacement providers and save for the purchase can make the process so much easier a few months from now. And, federal tax credits and local utility rebates are often available for installing high-efficiency, ENERGY STAR certified systems.
Your Raleigh Furnace Repair Technicians
Whether you need an emergency furnace repair or you just want someone to give your furnace a winter tune-up, the experienced HVAC technicians at Heating + Air Paramedics of Raleigh are ready to help. We're available 24/7 for emergency calls, and we pride ourselves on transparent pricing, speedy service and friendly support. Call today!
