With the cost of heating and electricity going up year after year, it’s a good idea for any house owner to do what he can to cut down on energy usage. Minimizing your carbon footprint is also important for the earth’s ecosystem, as we all know. Here are a few tips and ideas on what you can do:
Furnace:
Have a professional HVAC inspection done on your furnace. It is a way to ensure that it’s clean and that all mechanical components are running efficiently. Because if your furnace is not tuned, it is going to behave like a car that is not being serviced and use up more energy than necessary. Doing something as simple as replacing filters on a monthly basis, that’s going to enable your furnace to run more economically.
Chimney:
Run your fireplace often. It’s time to inspect it. You want to make sure there are no obstructions in your chimney. Have a professional come over at least once every three weeks or so and clean it. Another good idea is to install a wire cap on top of your chimney to prevent birds from getting in and building nests and things.
Attic:
The attic is a place where a lot of energy is wasted. Why? Because heat rises. If your attic is not insulated enough a lot of that heat is going to escape out into the open. So one easy way to conserve energy is to add extra insulation to the attic.
Doors and windows:
Leaky doors and windows are as bad as badly insulated attics. Be sure to add some caulk or an insulating window kit to keep that energy from leaving the house.
Window curtains:
Speaking of windows, installing insulated window curtains will help prevent heat loss during the night. Just make sure you don’t leave them pulled during the day; the sun is a formidable heating source for the house and you want it to enter through the windows.
Wind turbine:
Many people these days take the leap of faith and generate their own electricity for their house. You can do it with a $200 wind turbine, that won’t take more than a day to install. The upside can be substantial: you can save as much as 80% off your heating bill. It is a place where it’s all about going green on a budget and saving maximum energy and money.