Ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient in Any Weather

WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOME MORE ENERGY EEFICIENT IN ANY WEATHER Energy Use at Home 56% of the average home's energy consumption goes to heating and cooling Average heating and cooling costs are over $1,100 per year Average household energy use creates k the greenhouse gas emissions as the average car. Making Your Home More Energy Efficient Insulate heating and cooling ducts • Leaky ducts are inefficient • Sealing can improve your heating and cooling efficiency by 20% Get a programmable thermostat • Heating and cooling your home while no one is there wastes energy • Programmable settings can save you up to $180 per year Change your air filter • Dirty, clogged filters reduce HVAC efficiency • Filters should be changed every month during summer and winter Get an HVAC tune-up · Annual tune-up by an HVAC specialist keeps your system running efficiently • An HVAC repair professional can identify and fix any issues before they get worse Invest in a new heating and cooling system • Systems more than 10 years old waste money each month • New ENERGY STAR-approved appliances can save you 20% on utility bills Saving Energy in Extreme Weather In the summer In the winter Set thermostat to 78° F when you're home, 85° F when you're away Set thermostat to 68° F when you're home, 62° F when you're away Use ceiling or room fans to circulate cool air Open curtains during the day for warming sunlight Avoid using the stove or oven during the hottest parts of the day Use plastic sheeting to cover drafty windows If you have an unused fireplace, close the flue • Close curtains during the day Make sure your attic is properly insulated • Open windows at night if it's cool outside • Plant trees or shrubs in front of windows to shade your home • Close curtains at night Infographic provided by: LERNON www.vernonheatingva.com e Heating & Coling SPECIALIST Sources: w.energystar s eeiystar gow dee=hear OR/pubdoc/HeatingCoalingGuide2OFINAL9-4-09.pdfs2da-a601 hvac http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/fall-and-winter-energy-saving-tips http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/tips/summer.html http://energy.gov/public-services/homes/heating-cooling WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOME MORE ENERGY EEFICIENT IN ANY WEATHER Energy Use at Home 56% of the average home's energy consumption goes to heating and cooling Average heating and cooling costs are over $1,100 per year Average household energy use creates k the greenhouse gas emissions as the average car. Making Your Home More Energy Efficient Insulate heating and cooling ducts • Leaky ducts are inefficient • Sealing can improve your heating and cooling efficiency by 20% Get a programmable thermostat • Heating and cooling your home while no one is there wastes energy • Programmable settings can save you up to $180 per year Change your air filter • Dirty, clogged filters reduce HVAC efficiency • Filters should be changed every month during summer and winter Get an HVAC tune-up · Annual tune-up by an HVAC specialist keeps your system running efficiently • An HVAC repair professional can identify and fix any issues before they get worse Invest in a new heating and cooling system • Systems more than 10 years old waste money each month • New ENERGY STAR-approved appliances can save you 20% on utility bills Saving Energy in Extreme Weather In the summer In the winter Set thermostat to 78° F when you're home, 85° F when you're away Set thermostat to 68° F when you're home, 62° F when you're away Use ceiling or room fans to circulate cool air Open curtains during the day for warming sunlight Avoid using the stove or oven during the hottest parts of the day Use plastic sheeting to cover drafty windows If you have an unused fireplace, close the flue • Close curtains during the day Make sure your attic is properly insulated • Open windows at night if it's cool outside • Plant trees or shrubs in front of windows to shade your home • Close curtains at night Infographic provided by: LERNON www.vernonheatingva.com e Heating & Coling SPECIALIST Sources: w.energystar s eeiystar gow dee=hear OR/pubdoc/HeatingCoalingGuide2OFINAL9-4-09.pdfs2da-a601 hvac http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/fall-and-winter-energy-saving-tips http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/tips/summer.html http://energy.gov/public-services/homes/heating-cooling