1. Clean Your Air Ducts
Cleaner air ducts mean that your air conditioner will work a lot more efficiently, and this is a clear way for you to save both money and energy. The National Air Duct Cleaners Association recommends that air ducts should be cleaned once every three to five years. Doing this can go a long way in ensuring that you not only pay lower energy bills but that your family also stays more comfortable as well. If anyone suffers from allergies, they’re bound to have an easier time when they breathe air that’s not full of dust, pollen, and other allergens that tend to collect in your air ducts over time.
2. Patch Up Any Missing Shingles
If you’ve ever experienced the chimney effect during the summer months, you know how your roof can significantly impact the energy use in your home, and this is why you need to make sure that it’s in a solid state throughout the year. Missing shingles or poor insulation can cause your home’s heating or cooling to escape to the outside, which causes your HVAC system to work twice as hard to keep your home comfortable.
With the friendly weather in spring, this is the best time for you to work on your roof. The roofing industry is expected to grow 4% annually, so you should be able to find an experienced roofer in your area to inspect your roof and replace any missing shingles they come across. This can help you seal your home a lot better and lose less treated air to the outdoors. As a result, you’ll be able to make do with your AC set at a reasonable degree.
3. Clear Your Water Heater
Next, drain your water heater of any sediment so you can improve its efficiency. If your water heater has to work through layers of accumulated particles, it will need more energy while giving a lower output. Since water heating accounts for 18% of the energy used in an average property, the implications of cleaning your heater should be evident. According to Bob Vila, it’s recommended to drain your water heater at least once a year.
If your water heater has additional issues or it’s simply reached the end of its lifespan, you might need to call a professional. Weigh between fixing it and replacing it to see which is the more reasonable expense for you. Making the right call can help you save on energy and get better service, so do some research on top of talking to the relevant professionals.
4. Switch to LED Bulbs
Last but not least, change all the bulbs in your home to LED bulbs. This is a measure that will help you save not just now, but for a long time to come. This is because LED bulbs generally need less energy to run and so they’ll cost you less to keep on. They also have a longer lifespan than normal bulbs so you can also do away with the cost of making frequent replacements. To boot, they give off less heat while running and so they won’t heat your house up and call for more cooling efforts on your part. Given the affordability and ease of this tip, it should probably be the first one that you put to work.
These four tips can help you reduce the energy you use in your home this spring. When you make it more affordable to enjoy modern conveniences, you’re bound to enjoy every moment you spend in your home. You can make some more improvements each season so that in the end, your home is efficient and affordable for you, not to mention attractive and cozy!
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