6 Ways To Save Energy During Winter

Although there are many wonderful things about the winter, spending a bunch of money on heating bills isn’t one of them. Because the weather gets so chilly in the Morgantown, WV, area, it can be tempting to have your heater cranked up for many hours each day. But over several months, that can add up to a lot of extra energy being used, which means you’ll be paying through the nose for your monthly electricity bills. However, if you refrain from running the heater, you and your family will often have to live with being cold and uncomfortable. Fortunately, there are ways to keep your household warm and cozy without breaking the bank. To achieve this, you simply need to be proactive about conserving energy and develop a few positive habits.

1. Purchase A Smart Thermostat

Modern thermostats these days offer a variety of benefits and innovative features. If you haven’t already upgraded to one of these smart thermostats in your home, now is a great time to do so. One advantage of having a smart thermostat is the energy you can start saving. Modern thermostats are programmable, which means you can set yours to automatically turn the heat on or off at specific times each day. For example, if you leave for work at the same time each morning, you can program the thermostat to shut off your HVAC system at that time. So, if you regularly forget to turn off the heat when you leave, your thermostat will automatically take care of it for you.

A smart thermostat can also track your household habits and provide detailed data and analysis. This information can highlight the ways that you’re wasting energy during the winter, making it much easier for you to improve your habits. Additionally, these thermostats can recognize when the climate inside your house reaches your preferred temperature. At that point, it will automatically shut off until the heat is needed again. That way, your heating system is never running for longer than what’s necessary.

2. Schedule A Heating Tune-Up

When the Morgantown weather is at its coldest, relying on your household heating system will be inevitable. But, as long as the appliance is running at or near peak efficiency, your energy costs will remain reasonable. The best way to improve your heating unit’s efficiency is to schedule professional maintenance. At Absolute Air, our skilled technicians offer comprehensive heating tune-ups. During this process, our team will clean your heating system, inspect its many components, and make adjustments to improve its overall performance. If you schedule this service every year, it will counteract a lot of the wear and tear on the appliance and provide your household with multiple benefits.

These are a few of the positive effects you can expect from professional heating maintenance:

• Better energy efficiency
• Improved heating performance
• Cleaner indoor air
• Fewer heating problems
• Longer heating system lifespan

3. Seal Air Leaks

If there are multiple air leaks around your house, they could result in a lot of wasted energy throughout the winter. Even small openings can allow warm air to escape your home as your heating system cycles, forcing the appliance to work harder to do its job and use up more energy. You may not be aware that your household is harboring leaks, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t impacting your comfort and HVAC system. At least once per year, you should inspect your home for these gaps and seal any that you do find.

If there are air leaks in your dwelling, you’ll typically find them along the edges of windows and doorways. Some may be too small to see, but carefully feeling around with your hand for airflow can be an effective method for identifying problem areas. If you encounter any openings, you can seal them with caulking and weather stripping, both of which are available at your local hardware store.

4. Have Your Air Ducts Cleaned And Inspected

If you want to maximize your heating system’s efficiency during the winter, having clean, healthy ductwork is a must. Any time your heater is running, it will be cycling warm air directly through your air ducts. But if those ducts are filled with dust, dirt, mold and other contaminants, they will obstruct your heating unit’s airflow. To compensate for this, your heater will need to increase its air pressure, which requires additional energy. Dirty ducts also worsen your indoor air quality, introduce unpleasant odors to your home and cause other problems. At Absolute Air, our skilled professionals will thoroughly clean your air ducts. They’ll also check the health of the ductwork, searching for any leaks or other damage. If your ducts are leaky, that problem can also lead to wasted energy, uneven household temperatures, and HVAC malfunctions.

5. Use Your Curtains Wisely

If you use them strategically, your home’s curtains can help you save lots of energy and improve your comfort during winter. When the sun is out during the day, keep some or all of the curtains in your home open. That will allow the sun’s natural warmth to fill your home, allowing you to give your heating system a rest and save some energy. Then, in the evening, make sure all your curtains are closed. This will help keep the warmth from your heating system from escaping your home. So, you should need to have the heater on for only a short period of time to keep your living space comfortable all night. This method of conserving energy works especially well if you invest in energy-efficient curtains for your home.

6. Clean Your Air Vents

After the warm air from your heating system flows through your ducts, it must pass through your home’s air vents. But, over time, many contaminants can accumulate inside these vents, including dust, dirt and small debris. If enough of these pollutants are present, they can obstruct your HVAC system’s airflow, forcing it to use more energy to do its job. This also puts extra strain on the system, which makes mechanical problems more likely. Dirty air vents can also negatively affect your comfort and indoor air quality.

The good news is that cleaning your vents takes very little time or effort. All you’ll need is a screwdriver and a vacuum cleaner with a hose extension. Use the screwdriver to remove the vent’s cover, then vacuum out all the contaminant particles. If you do this once per month throughout the winter, it will lower your energy bills and help keep your HVAC system running smoothly.

For more than 30 years, our team at Absolute Air has been serving residents of the greater Morgantown area. Our expert professionals can help you in various areas, including heating and cooling services, indoor air quality services, duct cleaning and water heater services. We offer quality products, reasonable prices and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Contact us at Absolute Air today if you’d like to schedule an appointment or learn more!

Published: February 10, 2023