Each year,
homeowners spend countless dollars on unnecessarily high energy bills. Many of
the appliances in your home may be working much harder than they need to, and
you might not even realize it.
Ensuring that
your home is energy efficient is the first step to solving this problem. Some
people may think that making their homes more energy efficient is expensive,
but the truth is that some of the fixes are simpler than you think.
Keep reading to
learn some of the signs that your home may not be energy efficient and what you
can do to change that.
Your Electric Bill is Higher Than it Should Be
One of the first
— and most obvious — signs that your home isn't energy efficient is a very high electric bill. If the heating and cooling
appliances in your house are working overtime to keep your house comfortable,
it will reflect in your bill.
Keep track of
your monthly bills. If you notice that it's higher than usual, it may be time
to call an HVAC technician to take a look at your home.
Your House Is Always Too Hot or Too Cold
Everyone wants to
feel comfortable at home, but that can be difficult when the temperature is never quite
right.
If your house feels cold even when the heat is on or it's hot when the AC is on
full blast, you have a problem.
When your home's
HVAC system is functioning properly and your home is adequately insulated, you
shouldn't experience extreme high and low temperatures.
You Have An Old Air Conditioner
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| image via Flickr by lsccav |
Most people want
to hold on to their air conditioning units for as long as possible because —
let's be real — they're expensive. But hanging on to an old AC can actually cost you more
money in the long run than purchasing a new one.
Just because your
AC is working doesn't mean that it doesn't need to be replaced. If your current
unit is more than 10 years old, it could be as much as 30 percent less energy
efficient than newer units.
The Temperature in Your Home Varies from Room to Room
If your bedroom
feels like a sauna but your living room feels like an iceberg, your home is
having some serious issues with energy efficiency.
Inconsistent
temperatures from room to room could be caused by a number of things, including
a duct issue or an air conditioner that can't produce enough cool air to be
distributed evenly throughout each room.
If your home has
any of these issues, the best thing to do is contact a local HVAC professional.
Someone who is trained to deal with heating and cooling appliances can help you
safely diagnose any problems you're having and let you know if it's time to
repair or replace your unit. The most important thing is not to wait until it's
too late. Something as simple as a phone call to an HVAC service could save you
thousands of dollars in the long run.
