A Whole-House Approach To Lowering Your Energy Costs

Energy costs in northwest Arkansas can be high, especially if you haven’t made an effort to improve your home’s efficiency. The cost of heating during our cool winter weather and the cost of air conditioning during hot summers can be especially burdensome. Luckily, some straightforward whole-house approaches can drastically reduce most homes’ energy bills. 

Simple Lifestyle Adjustments

Some bill-lowering strategies require only simple lifestyle adjustments, rather than more intensive home maintenance. Here are some easy things to do to lower your energy costs:

• Take shorter showers.
• Lower your heater’s thermostat settings during winter and wear warmer clothes to increase heating efficiency.
• Only run your washing machine and dishwasher when they have full loads.
• Turn down the heat or air conditioning before leaving the house.
• Turn off lights before leaving a room.

Maintenance Adjustments

An inefficiently designed home uses much more energy than an efficient home. While some home improvements may cost money upfront, the costs are usually worth the long term energy savings. Here are some home adjustments to consider when you’re trying to lower your energy costs:

• If your furnace and air conditioner are old and inefficient, consider upgrading to newer, more efficient models. For example, a dual-fuel heating and air conditioning system uses as little energy as possible.
• Install draft-stoppers on outside doors.
• Don’t forget to schedule preventive maintenance to keep your HVAC system running as efficiently as possible.
• Install a programmable thermostat so that you can have your heat or air conditioning turn down automatically during times when you’re normally out of the house.
• Consider installing a zoning system, so that you never pay to heat or air condition rooms you aren’t using.
• Install a whole-house humidification system to reduce your need for heat during winter.
• Consider having a contractor seal your attic to prevent warm air from entering your house during summer.

If you’re unsure of the best ways to lower your energy costs, consider having a professional take a look at your house and recommend energy-saving solutions. For help evaluating your home in Northwest Arkansas, contact the experts at Paschal Heat, Air and Geothermal.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about energy costs and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Paschal Heating, Air & Geothermal services Northwest Arkansas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!     

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