Lower Your Energy Costs

Simple Tips for Saving Money in the Winter

There are a variety of steps you can take to lower the expenses of heating your home when temperatures drop. Heating and cooling equipment typically use more energy than other appliances. This inevitably shows up every month on the energy bill, but it's important to remember that energy costs can be controlled.

Annual Furnace Maintenance

One step to control energy costs is to schedule an annual maintenance check with Airflow to make sure your unit is running efficiently. Most heating systems require very little owner maintenance. However, operating dirty heating equipment can result in an unnecessary loss of efficiency and can damage the unit. You play a vital role in making sure your heating system continues to operate at peak performance.

You can take the following simple steps to ensure your system is running efficiently:

  • Before performing any maintenance, turn off the unit and wait for the blower to stop.
  • Always replace air filters at the beginning of the heating season and check them monthly throughout the winter. Dirty filters should be replaced to prevent equipment from working harder, which results in energy waste and possible internal damage.
  • Inspect the blower compartment before each heating season. Use a vacuum to remove any dirt or dust, which can result in improper performance and low-efficiency.
  • Remove clutter from around the furnace. Clutter can obstruct combustion air supply.

High Efficiency Furnace

If you're in the market for a new furnace, consider purchasing a high efficiency model. They can help reduce your energy costs as well as conserve our natural resources.

When selecting a furnace, pay close attention to the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE). The AFUE number represents how efficiently a furnace converts fuel to energy. The higher the AFUE percentage, the more energy-efficient or fuel-efficient the furnace will be. The U.S. government's established minimum AFUE rating for a furnace is 78 percent.

It's also important to look for Energy Star products. This means the product meets the environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) standards by using less energy, which reduces pollution. Energy Star products reduce energy use by 20-40 percent.

Programmable Thermostats

Programmable thermostats can make a big difference in energy consumption. These thermostats deliver maximum comfort, efficiency, and energy savings. Programmable thermostats are used to achieve the temperatures you want throughout your home based on occupancy. For example, if you're going to be away, you can set the whole house at an energy-saving temperature to avoid heating an empty house. If you have programmable thermostats, you can program them to have your living areas comfortable when you arrive home.

Zoning

Zoning provides consistent comfort throughout your home and can drastically lower your heating costs. Zoning divides your home into separate comfort areas, which are heated or cooled based on your needs. You won't have to heat the whole house just to make one room comfortable.

Airflow can help you select the best heating equipment for your home and help you determine potential energy savings.