by Kelly Jensen
Keeping your house comfortable and cozy to live in is easy as it depends on the owner’s preference like air conditioning, heating preferences, etc. However, living in a house can be expensive, especially when you neglect a lot of things that use electricity. Many people are constantly being stressed about their energy bills, and for a good reason.
Energy bills will be high when you are too neglectful about using your electricity. Luckily, there are a lot of things you can do to save some money from your energy bills by stopping the things that keep it high. Here are some mistakes you need to stop to reduce your energy bill significantly.
Not Keeping Your HVAC Systems Maintained
Sure, your HVAC may have the best features available in the market; however, how well an HVAC system works doesn't depend on its features but on its longevity after years of usage. Keeping it maintained is of the utmost priority if you want it to last for much longer. Even the most expensive HVAC systems wouldn’t work properly without their regular maintenance.
A good comparison of it is how frequently you keep your car maintained. If you regularly maintain your vehicle, you should also do the same to your HVAC system.
The best time that you should do maintenance of your HVAC system is during its downtime, especially during the summer. Not only that, but shops also do a promo during this time, so if you don’t have time to check it yourself, you can send for a professional to do the maintenance for you. Leaving your HVAC system just lying there without care for a long time can reduce its efficiency and longevity.
One of the most common problems of HVAC systems is its filter. Once neglected, it can accumulate dust and dirt, making it clogged up. Once it is, it can force your HVAC system to work harder, eating up more energy. Not only that, but a dirty, clogged-up filter can also damage the quality of the air you have in your house, which can cause some health problems down the line if a person is exposed for too long.
Cranking Up the Thermostat
Some people think it’s a good idea to crank up the thermostat to make the heater heat up the place faster. But no, it doesn’t work like that. Setting the thermostat high has no effect on how quickly the heater will work. But instead, it will make your furnace run longer, which can crank your energy bills up instead.
However, installing a programmable thermostat might be the solution to your problems. With a programmable thermostat, you can set a timer for it to work, making your house more comfortable with the touch of a button, as well as curbing your energy bills significantly.
Disregarding Leaks and Drafts
When you leave leaks and drafts unsolved, this will result in more heat going out of your house, and when that happens, it will force your heater to work harder and longer to compensate for the lost heat. Remember, more or less 40% of your bills roots in your HVAC system, and leaving drafts and leaks neglected is literally paying half of your energy bills for nothing.
Not only that, leaks and drafts can also cost moisture, which can lead to molds, and prolonged exposure to molds can cause severe health problems down the line. Sealing leaks and closing updrafts can reduce your electricity bills significantly, as well as keeping your family safe.
You can check your windows and see if there are drafts coming in, especially beneath the window sill. You can also check if the weather stripping and the caulking of your doors are correctly installed or see if they have damages. Also, the most commonplace for leaks and drafts is the attic, so you should check for those.
Using Old Light Bulbs
When talking about energy efficiency, one of the most common points of discussion is a house’s lighting. Using older light bulbs is not a mistake because not only are they not energy-efficient, but they can also be dangerous as they can break anytime. Using LED light bulbs is the way to go. Residential LED lights use 75% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than older ones. This is especially true for LED light bulbs that are ENERGY STAR rated.
Not Investing in Energy-Efficient Appliances
Whether it’s the dishwasher, TV, or washing machine, investing in energy-efficient appliances is a good way of reducing your energy bills down the line than using the same old ones. Sure, buying new devices can be costly, especially that energy-efficient appliances can be more costly. However, since they are energy-efficient, they will reduce your energy bills dramatically, making them a worthwhile investment.
If you want to reduce your energy bills significantly, then you should stop making the mistakes mentioned above and do something about them. Continuing to do so can keep your energy bill high for a long time. They can be costly, make no mistake about it, but by fixing them up, you will then get your money back since you will be paying less and less energy bills in the future.
If you’re looking for an affordable source of energy from a trustworthy company, check Eligo Energy. They are efficient with their line of work and are trusted by a lot of satisfied customers. You can check prices.eligoenergy.com's prices here.
