5 Strategies for Reducing Your Heating and Cooling Bills

One of the single biggest monthly expenses you will face is the cost of heating and cooling your home.

As the costs of heating oil and electricity continue to rise, it becomes vital that you get the maximum heating and cooling result for your money. There are a number of things you can do to improve the energy efficiency of the heating and cooling systems in your home.

The here are the top 5 strategies for reducing your heating and cooling bills:

CHECK YOUR SEALS - Air leaks in your home rob you of heating and cooling dollars. You pay to heat or cool your home only to have drafty windows and walls blow it all away. Sealing the cracks and crevices around doors, windows, and electrical outlets will dramatically reduce the energy lost to drafts and lower your energy bills.

MAX OUT YOUR INSULATION - One of the biggest wastes of heat in your home is poor attic insulation. Make sure you have the appropriate amount of insulation in your attic to prevent heat loss through the ceiling.

UNCOVER AIR VENTS - In many homes with forced air heating and cooling systems the vents (sometimes called registers) are located on the floor. If these vents are blocked by furniture or draperies, the air will not flow properly through the house. The result is that your heating and cooling systems will not operate at their highest efficiency.

SERVICE YOUR HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM - Nobody likes to pay for service calls when their heating and cooling system is working, but having a technition check your system annually can dramatically reduce your energy bills. The service technition will make sure that your system is working at peak efficiency and help identify problems before they become huge expenses.

INSTALL CEILING FANS - In the winter the warm air in you home can be trapped at the ceiling leaving you cold (or forcing you to turn up the thermostat to get the lower part of the room heated.) A ceiling fan can help mix the air and keep the overall temperature in the room more comfortable year round.

These simple, and often inexpensive, changes can dramatically reduce the cost of heating and cooling your home. Some require nothing more than a quick trip to your local home center and an afternoon of labor.

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