Want to Increase Energy Efficiency During Cooler Weather? Follow these Tips

November 12, 2015

A Plains State winter can be very cold, and in response, residents will use more energy to maintain a comfortable and warm living area. Increased heating, however, also means more energy usage and higher monthly bills. Here are three of the most important tips for maintaining energy efficiency and saving money on your winter heating costs.

1. Increase insulation: Find any areas in your home that need more insulation. This can include walls, floors, ceilings, attics, or foundations. In most cases, blanket-style insulation will be most appropriate for use between wall beams and joists. Foam insulation or loose-fill insulation can work well for hard-to-reach areas or locations with unusual shapes. Insulation keeps heat from escaping, so the better insulation you have, the more heat you'll be able to keep inside your home.
2. Get HVAC maintenance: Call your HVAC professional for a heating system inspection and tune up. Seasonal preventive maintenance ensures that your furnace or heat pump will function reliably, properly and at its greatest level of efficiency throughout the winter. Your HVAC technician will be able to make minor repairs and adjustments that ensure efficient operation and that will prevent bigger breakdowns or malfunctions in the future.
3. Seal air leaks: Find and seal any air leaks in the structure of your home. Gaps, cracks or other openings can let hundreds of dollars of warm air seep out of your home unused. Look in some of the more likely locations, such as around door and window frames, at points where wires or pipes enter the home through the wall, or in areas where the foundation or attic floor meet the house frame. In most cases, these leaks can be sealed with standard caulking. Ask your HVAC professional about an energy audit that can detect even small air leaks.

Lozier Heating and Cooling proudly serves customers in Des Moines, Polk County and neighboring communities with top quality HVAC sales, maintenance and service. Contact us today for more information on sustaining home energy efficiency and how to keep your living spaces more comfortable and energy efficient this winter.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Des Moines, Iowa area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: "docstockmedia/Shutterstock"