How Efficient is Your Home's Heating and Cooling?
Depending on where you live, you either loathe your summer or winter utility bills. In the north, winter utility bills sky rocket, while home owners try to keep warm during sub-freezing weather. In the south, we crank up the air conditioner during the summer, trying to beat the brutal heat.
There are ways, though, to make your energy bills be a little lower.
If your indoor winter temperature is tolerable, just brave the cold and wear sweaters around the house. You can even don a lightweight winter hat, to keep your body heat trapped.
If you do use your central heat or furnace, make sure that the temperature in your house does not fluctuate more than 10%. Making it fluctuate more is less efficient. In other words, keeping your home at a constant 65 degrees is more efficient than having the temperature fluctuate between 55 and 65, because it takes more energy to heat the house back up from 55 to 65, than it would have taken to maintain a constant temperature. The same is true for using the air conditioner during summer months: going from 80 degrees to 72 degrees is less efficient than it is to maintain a constant temperature.
To determine just how efficient your house is at retaining and maintaining the heating or cooling, call your local utilities company. Many utilities companies have contracts with energy efficiency companies that will provide free home diagnostics, checking your home for drafts, air leaks, and insulation. In most cases, they will provide (free of charge) gaskets, caulking, and seals that will improve the efficiency of your home. For many areas in California and Texas, the service provider is Winegard Energy.