As fuel prices continue to increase, energy efficiency is on the minds of many Long Island residents. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make your home as energy efficient as possible.
Performing an energy assessment is one of the best ways you can identify sources of energy loss in your home. Such an assessment takes stock of how much energy your household uses, and it identifies specific ways to reduce waste. Consider the following:
- Air leaks. When conditioned air leaks out of cracks and gaps in window frames, doors and other areas, your heating and cooling system has to work harder to maintain your desired indoor temperature. Sealing air leaks will help reduce energy loss and monthly utility bills.
- Insulation. Insufficient insulation, especially in the attic, will reduce energy efficiency and impact home comfort. Adding insulation to your attic, crawl spaces and basement and around ductwork can reduce energy loss.
- Attic ventilation. In addition to proper insulation, attic ventilation is important for maintaining good airflow and keeping energy costs low, especially in summertime. If you don’t already have one, install an attic ventilator to help improve energy efficiency.
- Programmable thermostats. If you still have a manual thermostat, you are probably losing money by heating and cooling your home while it is unoccupied. A programmable thermostat can automatically adjust the temperature settings around your schedule, so you can conveniently save energy without sacrificing home comfort.
- Air return vents. If your home does not have enough air return vents, your home comfort system is probably not operating as efficiently as it could be. Installing additional vents will help improve efficiency and home comfort.
- Ductwork modification. If you have an older home, the ductwork may not be sufficient to handle your heating and cooling system. This leads to energy waste — higher-than-necessary heating and cooling bills.
If you want to improve the energy efficiency of your home comfort system, please contact the professionals at T.F. O’Brien Cooling & Heating for expert advice. Whether you are in the market for new HVAC equipment or want to optimize your existing system, we’re here to help.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy savings and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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