Are you doing everything the Energy Star website says to help keep your heating and cooling system running effectively? Try to adhere to their Guide to Energy-Efficient Heating and Cooling and look at their Home Energy Yardstick, which is a quick online survey to find out how your energy use is measuring up. You’ll need to know basic information on your home. This will include energy bill totals for 12 months, age, zip code, number of people that live there, and the square footage. You can access the home energy yardstick anytime online.
Are You Using a Programmable Thermostat?
With a programmable thermostat, you have pre-programmed settings and do not have to keep altering your temperature like a manual thermostat. This will save you energy by not having the “start up” of the unit as often. This is a fine example of how a simple fix can help save you energy and money.
Do You Have Your Ducts Sealed?
Having your ducts sealed and insulated keeps out debris and keeps in the proper air flow. You aren’t losing energy through small cracks or air leaks. Sealing any ducts that you can easily access can go a long way in getting maximum efficiency from your heating and cooling system.
Are You Changing Your Air Filter Monthly?
Another simple thing that some people don’t think about is changing your air filters monthly. Filters that are dirty or clogged make your system work harder to pump air throughout your home. This results in overworking the system, lowering its life expectancy, and making it run longer than necessary.
Are You Getting Preventive Maintenance?
Proper annual maintenance plans keep things running smoothly. It works well in keeping everything monitored, levels checked, and safety features inspected. If there is an issue, it’s fixed quicker.
Source: Energy Star