How to Maximize the Energy Efficiency of Your Home
Do you dread paying your heating bill this time of year? When a cold spell hits Thibodaux, Houma, and the surrounding Louisiana communities, energy bills can soar, which makes bank account balances plummet. If you are looking for ways to stay warm and spend less, then you need to increase your energy efficiency. Here are a few tips from the energy experts at
Doug’s Refrigeration to help you create a more energy efficient home:
- Change your furnace filter – this one’s easy, but many of us forget to do it. Changing your furnace filter will allow your system to work more efficiently and save you money.
- Add or replace attic insulation – Heated air can escape through drafty, under-insulated attic spaces. Adding or replacing insulation will help keep your warm air inside your home.
Install a new, energy efficient furnace – If you have an older furnace, then it may be worth the upfront expense to replace it with an energy efficient model and keep your energy bills lower over time. - Schedule a furnace tune-up – A furnace tune-up will ensure that your heating system is working at its highest efficiency levels.
- Use your ceiling fans – In the winter you should have your ceiling fans rotating clockwise to help push the warm air that has risen up to the ceiling back down to the living space.
- Check your air ducts – Repair any damaged areas and seal loose connections to make sure that your heated air does not escape before it reaches your home.
- Weatherproof your doors and windows – Seal air leaks with caulking and weatherstripping to cut down on heat loss.
Add a programmable thermostat to your existing HVAC system – this will allow you to monitor and control your home’s temperature, and even set different temperatures when you are home and away. - Add a zoning system – this feature allows you to keep any less frequently used areas of your home at a cooler temperature, without sacrificing warmth and comfort in the rooms you are using.
- Use exhaust fans sparingly – These fans in kitchens and bathrooms pull heat up and out of your rooms, so only use them when necessary.
- Harness heat from the sun – Open your curtains or blinds on south-facing windows when the sun is out to let the sun heat these areas of your home for free!
Would you like more tips on staying warm and spending less?
Visit the “Go Green” page of our website, or call (985) 746-1116 to speak with a Doug’s Refrigeration expert heating technician.
