We would all like to save money on our household bills, and with the news full of headlines about soaring energy prices worldwide, c4u Inspections Ltd thought it might be a good time to share some ways that you can reduce your energy costs – especially with cooler fall weather on the way!
Schedule Yearly HVAC Maintenance. Increase the efficiency of your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system by having it inspected and cleaned once a year. An added bonus, you will also have cleaner air circulating in your home.
Clean or replace all filters in your home regularly. Dirty filters make your system work harder and run longer than necessary. Keep your HVAC system running at peak efficiency by changing the filter every 30 days
Install Weather-stripping. Check around your windows and doors for any drafty gaps. Then, purchase and install weather-stripping to fill in any spots where drafts get in. Sealing cracks, gaps and leaks (and adding insulation) can save up to 10% on home heating and cooling costs.
Defrost your refrigerator and freezer. Defrost your appliances before ice buildup becomes 1/4-inch thick to ensure they are running efficiently.
keep your refrigerator and freezer full. Refrigerators and freezers actually operate most efficiently when full, so keep your refrigerator and freezer as full as possible (using water bottles if nothing else). Be careful about overfilling them as this will reduce airflow and cause the appliance to work harder.
Clean Your Refrigerator's Coils. When your refrigerator has dirty condenser coils it has to work harder to cool your foods. Perform maintenance on your refrigerator and freezer once every three months to optimize its efficiency.
Cover Up Your Foods. Do not put uncovered foods or drinks in the refrigerator. Condensation makes the fridge work harder and costs you more money.
Wash Laundry in Cold Water. Ninety percent of the energy consumed by your washing machine goes to heating water. Turn the dial to cold, and skip the bill.
Turn Off Heat Dry on Your Dishwasher. Most of the energy consumed by your dishwasher goes to heating water. Turn off the heat dry feature, and you will minimize the energy drain.
Only Wash Full Loads. Your washing machine and dishwasher use a lot of electricity. Minimize the drain by only washing full loads.
Clean Your Dryer Lint Trap. Remove the dryer lint from your dryer's trap after each load to maximize the machine's efficiency. Then, scrub it down with soapy water and a brush once every couple months to remove any additional lint trapped in the screen.
Use Dryer Balls. Toss dryer balls into the dryer with your clothes to speed drying time.
Turn off your ventilation fans. Don't leave bathroom or kitchen ventilation fans running longer than necessary. They replace inside air with outside.
Lower the Temperature on Your Hot Water Heater. Thirteen percent of your home's electricity goes to heating water. You can lower this percentage, by setting your hot water heater to 130 to 140 degrees. For even more savings, install an insulation jacket, and insulate the first six feet of piping that comes off of your heater
Reduce your “always-on” appliances. A shocking 75 percent of the energy used by home electronics is consumed when they are turned off. ‘Phantom loads’ of electric usage come from televisions, stereos, computers, and many kitchen appliances—basically anything that holds a time or other settings. Look for electronics that you don’t use (like VCRs!) or can switch off, or perhaps get rid of that extra refrigerator. A simple solution is to plug all of these types of items into power strips and get in the habit of turning off the strips between uses.
Turn off the lights. When they're not in use, shut them off. Lighting accounts for about 12% of a typical residential utility bill. According to BC Hydro two 100-watt incandescent bulbs switched off an extra two hours per day could save you $15 over a year.
Use task lighting. Turn off ceiling lights and use table lamps, track lighting and under-counter lights in work and hobby areas as well as in kitchens.
Switch to LEDs. LED light bulbs use 90 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs. Switch out the most widely used bulbs in your home. Then, replace the rest as they burn out.
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Whether buying or selling your property, or just trying to maintain its value, c4u Inspections Ltd is always here to help!
Serving the Okanagan Since 2005
