Own an investment and looking to save a few dollars? Try out some of these tips and keep your money in your wallet.
Programmable Thermostat
Install an ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostat – It can save up to over $150 and pays for itself in less than 12 months. Make sure to install it away from natural cool and hot spots.
Seal Your Ducts
Have your heating and cooling ducts professionally sealed to save up to $120 in coastal areas and up to $190 inland per year.
Seal Your Home
Seal your home’s envelope – walls, floor, ceiling and roof – to save up to 10% on your annual energy bill:
Add weather stripping around windows and doors to reduce drafts.
Use caulking to seal around ducts, plumbing and any other openings in walls, floors and ceilings to reduce air leakage. Begin in the attic, a common place for warm air to escape.
Seal larger gaps that cannot be covered with caulk or with expanding foam.
Insulate, Insulate, Insulate
After air sealing, determine the current level of insulation. In the attic, measure the depth of existing insulation using a ruler. If there is less than R-22 (7 inches of fiber glass or rock wool or 6 inches of cellulose) you could probably benefit by adding more. Most U.S. homes should have between R-22 and R-49 insulation in the attic. Insulating ceilings, walls, attics, floors, crawl spaces and basements to recommended standards can reduce heating and cooling costs by 5% to 25%.
Upgrade Your Heating System
Replace heating equipment more than 15 years old with new ENERGY STAR qualified models. Equipment must be sized and installed properly.
Old furnaces cost more to operate per year than new, ENERGY STAR qualified models that are 15% more efficient than standard models.
An ENERGY STAR qualified electric heat pump is 20% more efficient and can save you about $130 annually.
An ENERGY STAR qualified boiler uses features like electric ignition and new combustion technologies that extract more heat from the same amount of fuel, to be 10% more efficient than a new, standard model.
Maintain Your Cooling System
Have your air conditioning unit serviced to cut 15% of cooling costs.
Windows
Install high efficiency windows, which are 40% more efficient than standard windows. Consider replacing single-pane windows with double-pane windows that are gas-filled with high performance glass (e.g., low emissivity or “low-e” glass). ENERGY STAR qualified windows may help reduce your heating and cooling costs by up to 15%. The windows must be sized and installed properly.
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