Develop a long-term home energy savings plan to focus on ways to reduce energy consumption in your home for the long haul. There are many ways you can make a difference.
Colorado gets a full range of hot and cold weather over the year, so you may want to take a few moments to focus on your heating and cooling equipment, which will account for about half of the energy use in your home over the year. If the equipment is nearing 10 years old or older, you can enjoy a significant boost in energy savings by upgrading to Energy Star-qualified units.
Tips for long-term home energy savings
- Devise a list of your biggest energy guzzlers. Determine which of your larger household appliances aren’t energy efficient. If you’re not sure, you can calculate energy consumption yourself or check the manufacturer’s energy rating. You’ll also want to consider which appliances you use most often.
- Start correcting wasteful energy usage. Once you know which appliances aren’t energy efficient, plan to replace them one by one over time. In the meantime, find small ways you can cut back, like inching your thermostat up slightly in the summer and turning your furnace’s thermostat down a few degrees in winter. You’ll also want to seal ductwork to prevent conditioned air loss throughout the year. Keep in mind that you can save energy just by washing only full loads of laundry and dishes and using hot water for laundry and the heated drying setting for dishes sparingly.
- Add dates to your calendar. Make checking your air filter a monthly habit. Change it when it shows dirt, or at least every three months. Also keep track of when it’s time for annual HVAC service. By keeping these dates on hand, you’ll be more likely to follow through, which means more long-term home energy savings.
For more information about devising a long-term home energy savings plan or any other heating and cooling needs, contact the pros from the Rheem Pro Partner today. Serving Colorado and Wyoming, we’re always happy to help.
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