If your household energy consumption is causing expensive energy bills during these chilly North Charleston, SC days and nights, you need to nip your home’s heat loss in the bud, while maximizing your household energy efficiency. Because of the cooler weather, energy consumption in North Charleston, SC will be higher than in more moderate areas, but there are some ways to reduce your high utility bills.
Heat loss is simply the cold that creeps into your home from outside. It sneaks in through doors, windows, ceilings and walls, and pushes warm air up into your ceiling and attic. Heat loss is your heater’s enemy – it forces your unit to work harder to maintain comfortably warm temperatures in your home. Reducing your home’s heat loss will help you save money on your winter utility bills. Following these simple steps, you can make a dramatic reduction to your heating bill, with very little investment:
Weatherproof your doors and windows – Your home’s greatest heat loss is usually through your windows. While double-paned windows can lower your heating bills, not everyone can afford this retrofit.
- Seal leaks around doors and windows with weatherstripping or caulking. Do not forget to seal around the garage entrance to your home.
- Install honeycomb-insulating blinds or lined draperies to reduce heat loss.
- Open sun-facing window coverings during the day; close them at night.
- Remove awnings that block sunlight.
Increase your insulation – Upgrading your home’s insulation will not only prevent heat loss, it will reduce your home energy consumption in both the cold winters and the warmer summers. Insulating your attic space with a highly rated insulation will significantly cut down on heat loss through your ceiling.
Insulate your water heater – Insulating the bottom and sides of your water heater tank can reduce your utility bill by as much as 9 percent. You can install a water heater insulation blanket yourself, using an easy kit available at most home improvement centers. Installing a bottom board under your water heater is best done by a professional. If you have a gas water heater, you should use a professional to install all insulation.
Replace your heater – According to Energy Star, your home’s heating system can be eating up almost 50 percent of your home’s energy consumption. Replacing your old, worn-out unit with a new, high-efficiency model is one smart way to reduce your winter heating bill. The most high-efficiency heating units available now use 20-40 percent less electricity and gas than basic new models, so choose the highest efficiency that you can afford.
While some of these steps are easy for the average homeowner to accomplish, for expert help with your heating issues, call us at Berkeley Heating & Air Conditioning. We are here to help with all your HVAC needs.