From Guest Blogger Lizzie Weakly: How to Increase your Energy Savings this Spring
As the winter season comes to an end, the temperatures are beginning to rise with the start of a new season. Spring is often the time when flowers bloom and the sun comes out, but it can also mean suffering from high temperatures and unexpected heat waves. To keep your home cool without using too much energy, there are a few important steps to take for a lower bill each month.
Maintenance Your AC Unit
It’s important to schedule an inspection and to maintenance your HVAC each year to ensure that it continues to function well in the new season. Contact a company like C B Lucas Heating & Air Conditioning to examine all of the parts, which can eliminate the cost of repairs and reduce your energy usage in the coming months. The professional will check the belts, coils, compressor, filter, and coolant levels during the inspection.
Use Blockout Curtains
Hang blackout curtains to prevent as much sunlight from coming into the home during the brightest parts of the day. Closing the blinds can also insulate the inside of the property and keep it cooler to prevent using the HVAC system. It’s also important to avoid trimming trees that are in close proximity to the windows, which can shade the home and prevent as much sunlight from coming in through the windows.
Switch to LED Lights
Incandescent bulbs are commonly used in lamps and with overhead lighting, but can increase your energy usage and have a shorter lifespan. Switch to LED lights, which only use six to eight watts per bulb compared to 13 to 15 watts. LED lights are more energy efficient, which can reduce the cost to use them by 50 percent.
Close Off Vents
Many people use more energy than they actually need when trying to cool the inside of their home. Close off vents to unused rooms of the home to avoid having your HVAC system run more throughout the day. You can also set the thermostat at 76 degrees during the day and rely on ceiling fans to cool the home throughout the night.
Although you may begin to use more energy in the spring season due to warmer weather, it’s possible to keep your costs low and reduce your usage. By taking the right steps, you can lower your bill and reduce your carbon footprint on warmer days of the year for a more energy-efficient home.
There are additional things which should be considered.
Ceiling fans can make people comfortable at higher temperatures thereby reducing the energy required for air conditioning. It makes sense to operate ceiling fans while the air conditioning is in use because then the thermostat can be set for a higher temperature. Ceiling fans use very little power.
Selecting efficient air conditioning systems can make a significant difference. I suggest spending many hours studying air conditioning to make it possible to converse intelligently with air conditioning contractors. Consider air conditioning systems which have variable speed compressors. Also considering a system with zoning.
Instead of room air conditioners which mount in a window or through the wall, consider mini split systems; do a google search on “mini split air conditioners” for more information. They tend to be more efficient than window mounted or through the wall units and are quieter; they are worth the extra cost. Oddly, although they have been in use in other countries for decades, they are only now becoming common in the U.S.