Take Advantage of Extra Savings on Your Energy Bill When You Try These 3 Tips

Getting the full range of seasons means that, as a new year arrives, the worst of winter is also likely to make its appearance. New Hampshire homes have to maintain a balance between using the furnace to keep homes livable in the winter, and switching over to the air conditioner in the summer to keep cool and protect electronics.

All that year-round climate control takes a toll on monthly energy bills, but with a few tips, you can start reducing that bill.

Use Window Coverage

Windows have a deliberate “design flaw” built in; in that they are designed not to keep things out, but admit things into the home. Mostly, they are created to allow light inside, but heat comes along with that. While that can actually help your furnace during the winter months by warming rooms up, it works against you in the summer.

This is where blinds, drapes or curtains can actually help you. During summer, at the time of the day when the most sunlight is streaming directly into your home, this is when that already hot summer air is being further amplified by the sunlight, making your AC work more, resulting in higher bills. Use your curtains, blinds or drapes during this peak time to blunt the sunlight and keep your rooms from getting too hot.

Upgrade Your Old Thermostat

Most of the time, it makes good financial sense to not replace something as long as “it works fine.” But with some technology, like computers, just because something still works, you’re getting lower performance compared to modern iterations of that hardware.

If your thermostat is from the last century—especially if it’s not digital—you’ve got some efficiency issues contributing to your energy bill. Older thermostats are less precise, and can only be turned on or off. New thermostats are programmable to set different temperatures for different times of the day or year.

With more advanced “smart thermostats” your daily activity can be analyzed by the thermostat and then temperature adjustments can be automatically made based on those living habits. You can even access your thermostat when you’re not at home, through your phone.

Keep Air Ducts Air Tight

The most efficient form of climate control is a centralized one, with both a furnace and an air conditioner sharing the same form of air distribution. Air ducts fulfill this role, allowing both heated air and cooled air to move throughout a home using the same network.

But air ducts are still just pipes, and that means that either accidents or the simple passage of time can eventually lead to structural defects like leaks. When that happens, you get a drop in HVAC efficiency that results in a rise in energy bills.

Having a professional conduct an inspection and fix any leaks will restore that efficiency. More importantly, it will address a small, cheaper problem before it turns into a larger, more expensive one.

Living and working in Manchester, NH means needing to engage in some constant climate control. But whether you’re trying to keep a building warm or cool, some smart use of energy saving tips can also save you on the money that you pay every month.