By lowering your monthly energy consumption, you can have more money in your wallet. Some fixes may be more of an investment than others. There are many ways in which you can decrease your power bill. Here are some things that you can do to get you on your way.
Service Your Heating and Cooling
Over time, your air conditioner and furnace become less efficient. Having routine maintenance performed on them by a professional, like those from Cape Fear Air Conditioning & Heating Co., Inc, can keep your heating and cooling systems operating at peak efficiency. After so many years it will be time to replace them with a newer model. You should also replace air filters in your units. Dirty air filters constrict the amount of air flow and require the unit to run more. Keep your vents open and have your ducts cleaned occasionally. You want to get the maximum amount of air flow from your unit with the least amount of effort.
Regulate the Temperature
A programmable thermostat can save on your utility bills. You don’t need your home being the same temperature if you aren’t in it. Some newer models can even communicate with your smart phone. It is also a good idea to not let your home get too warm or too cold. Having extreme temperature fluctuations in your home makes your heating or cooling system work harder. This is where it really starts to cost you more money on your power bill. You can also set the heat a little lower or the cooling a little higher to save some money.
Change Those Bulbs
Incandescent bulbs use more energy than either fluorescent or LED ones. By changing out the bulbs in your home, you are saving money. The bulbs will put out the same amount of light as the old ones, but with a fraction of the actual wattage. These newer types of bulbs will also typically last longer. This will save you time and money on replacing bulbs that have burned out. Another way to save some money is to turn off the lights in rooms that are not in use. You can even install dimmer switches to cut down on extra energy usage.
Cut out Drafts
While some air exchange in your home is good, too much costs you more money. Install weather-stripping around your doors and windows to cut down on those drafts. Even weather-strip your garage door. Wrap your water heater with a specially designed wrapper. You can also cut down on your energy bills by insulating your exposed ducts. The point is to get as much air into your home as possible. Uninsulated ducts lose their air as they travel through your system. This makes your units work harder to maintain the same temperature in your home.
Decreasing your power bill just requires a little investigation on your part. Try these steps to help save you money on your utility bills.