As another year ends in the coming days, we feel this is an excellent opportunity to encourage homeowners to make their New Year’s Resolutions to keep their home heating and cooling costs down in 2021.
With U.S. homeowners spending over $1,400 a year on energy, on average, and around half of that going to keeping homes comfy, we feel like most of our customers feel — saving money is essential, especially in uncertain times!
At Westerville Air Conditioning & Heating, we take pride in offering our Central Ohio community members the absolute best and most innovative HVAC solutions the industry has to offer — affordable heating, cooling and air quality products and services that enable our customers to maintain safe, comfortable and energy efficient homes year-round.
Moreover, because we have always enjoyed helping people save money, the following is our list of ways to save on energy costs in 2021:
Top 10 Energy Saving Tips for 2021
1. Replace old HVAC equipment before it’s too late.
If your home’s heating or cooling equipment is getting up there in years, it’s always a good idea to begin to consider when you will need to replace it. By planning ahead, and staying ahead of the curve, you can avoid system failures, costly repair bills and massive energy wasting. The energy savings are so much that many homeowners find their new equipment costs as much as half less to run. In most cases, the ends justify the means, especially when you account for the costs of having to repair an old system that’s still going to need to be replaced down the road. Furthermore, if you do decide to replace your equipment, you can get a smart thermostat or an air quality device like a whole-home humidifier installed at the same time at a reduced price. That’s because these devices come cheaper as add-ons with the purchase of a new system and they improve energy efficiency tremendously while enabling you to customize your home comfort system according to your needs.
2. Preventative maintenance is a must.
Making sure you have a professional tune-up and inspect your HVAC equipment each season will save you money on energy costs, which will keep you and your family safe and comfortable all year long. Also, having a certified technician perform maintenance on your heating and cooling equipment is the best way to avoid having to deal with breakdowns and unforeseen problems, which tend to occur suddenly and when you’d least expect it, in addition to making sure all your equipment performs optimally for many years to come.
3. Get a whole-home humidifier.
To add to the many health benefits of using a whole-home humidifier, the energy savings of this product can take as much as 20 percent off heating costs. The reason they help you save so much is because humidity keeps warm air inside a home much longer. Humidifiers hold heat and make heated air even feel warmer. As a bonus, humidifiers help everyone sleep and breathe better, preventing snoring and skin from drying out in addition to preventing static electricity from becoming a problem and wood from becoming damaged by the dry air associated with Ohio’s winters.
4. Change air filters regularly.
As air filters become dirty, old and obstructed, it can force your system to have to work a lot harder. This increases strain on your heating and cooling systems, which causes premature wear and tear as systems fight harder to keep up with desired temperatures. By checking and changing air filters frequently, like every month during the winter, you save money in a host of ways.
5. Get a Smart Thermostat.
If you haven’t done so yet, upgrading to a Wi-Fi Thermostat or Smart Thermostat will save you all sorts of money. Smart thermostats and programmable thermostats are very affordable nowadays and yet they pay for themselves in no time. These modern devices enable you to adjust your home’s temperature from your smartphone, tablet or any other device. They also learn your schedule to adjust themselves automatically while you’re sleeping or while you’re away at work to give your system, and budget, a hard-earned break.
6. Use cooler water in home appliances.
Some home appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines, use a lot of heated water from a home’s water supply every time they are used. As you use these appliances, keep in mind that heating up all that water costs more when it’s colder outside. You might be surprised by how well you can get by using cooler water to save money. Some homeowners even lower the temperature on their hot water heaters as well.
7. Keep baseboard heaters and air registers open and clean.
In addition to keeping certain things in the home that give off heat open and clean, make sure there isn’t any sort of furniture, carpeting or draperies blocking or obstructing any of them as well. If anything is blocking the heat that your baseboards, registers or radiators are releasing, it can force your system to have to run longer cycles, which will cost you more money to operate. It’s just good practice to keep them clean for safety and efficiency reasons.
8. Repair leaks in ductwork.
If you have damaged or loose ductwork that’s permitting any treated air to leak out, finding these leaks and having them fixed will save you all sorts of money over time. Because it costs so much to heat and cool a home, it is crucial to keep all the treated air inside your home from escaping as well as keep free flowing to where it needs to go in order to keep your system running like it was meant to. If you suspect you’re having any sort of issues with your home’s ductwork system, or question whether there might be a leak, give us a call right away as we’d be more than happy to help!
9. Close off chimney flue.
We all realize how fireplaces can be nice and warm. Fires in them increase that wonderful holiday ambiance. Nonetheless, leaving your chimney’s flue damper open all winter long is extremely energy draining and expensive! An open flue enables a ton of warmed air to run up and escape out your chimney in a hurry. This, in turn, forces your system to have to work overtime to heat your home. In the end, this makes energy bills go sky high just like that warm air — all the while putting unnecessary strain on your system that causes premature wear and tear.
10. Consider energy-efficient windows.
Although this can be a bit pricey, newer windows that are designed to save energy can pay for themselves quickly, especially when the windows you have are energy draining monstrosities that were installed a long time ago. Getting a quote with the estimated savings will give you an idea of how much you’re wasting, or better yet how much you’d be saving. Most of these quotes are free by the way, aside from the cost and convenience of your time — a price that’s well worth paying for the insight you gain.
We are here for all your HVAC needs in 2021!
If you are looking for ways to save on energy costs in 2021 while at the same time optimize your home’s heating or cooling systems, or if you need any other type of assistance related to any kind of heating, cooling or Indoor Air Quality concern, don’t hesitate to give us a call immediately! We have friendly experts standing by who can guide you through any sort of HVAC problem stress free!
To learn more, or to book an appointment with an expert technician, call Westerville Air Conditioning & Heating today at 614-810-0075, or schedule an appointment now by clicking here!
Thank you! Have a Safe, Comfy, Happy and Cost-Effective New Year!
