Keeping your Savannah, Georgia, home comfortable during the cold weather months is crucial. Unfortunately, there are a few bad cold weather habits that can not only cause issues with your comfort but result in higher monthly utility bills as well. To help increase the energy efficiency in your home, try to nix these three bad energy behaviors this winter.
Heating the House When You Are Away
Many homeowners still use a non-programmable thermostat or don’t take advantage of the available options their thermostat may have if they do have a smart or programmable thermostat. Programming your temperature to be 10 degrees lower when you are away for the day or even on vacation can save you a significant amount on your utility bills each month. When you set the program, you will also be able to give your HVAC system the time it needs to gradually increase and decrease the temperature, enabling it to work more efficiently.
Running Appliances When Barely Full
Another area in which homeowners may not only waste energy but also water is by running their household appliances when they are barely full, primarily dishwashers and washing machines. You can save energy by filling up your loads and having them run on the lower settings. Most of the energy used to run these appliances is through the heating of the water, so even if you use a small load setting, you are still drawing a lot of energy with each cycle.
Letting Drafts Reduce Efficiency
As your home becomes older, you will probably find more and more drafts. These drafts are often found around doors and windows but also can occur around your vents and ducts and through cracks or holes in the siding. These drafty areas can leak out much of the warmed air that your HVAC system is outputting, causing it to work harder to warm the room. Make sure to address and rectify these drafts before the cold weather hits.
Want to learn more about installing a new programmable thermostate? Call our HVAC specialists at McDevitt Air at 877-692-9402 today.
Image provided by Shutterstock