Another way your house is affected is by your appliances. Older furnaces can cost you more than replacing it with a newer, energy efficient model. The same goes for water heaters and air conditioners. Typically, a 10-15 year old furnace can be upgraded to save up to 40% in heating cost. couple that with poor duct sealing and ductwork in unconditioned spaces like attics and crawlspaces, you get less efficient heating and cooling during the high demand seasons.
So what can you do? Start by looking at your utillity bills. Visit your gas and electric suppliers website and use their online energy auditing services. This is a great way to get an idea of where your energy is going.
Second, Look and feel around your house. Do you have drafts coming from the ceiling or floor? Do your windows have drafts? Rim joists and attics are major contributors to leakage. While you are walking around, turn your furnace fan on and feel around your ducts. All of these areas are prone to poor conditioning and air leakage.
Finally, if you know your house is not insulated well, or suspect it is not, give me a call and schedule an audit. Using calculations and air leakage equipment, I can find the leaks and determine what is your best course of action. I hope this has helped to convince you to look into an energy audit. Do some research and look into ways you know you can save money and help conserve energy.
As an example, a house with 2,600 sq. ft. uses $1,700 to heat and cool in a year. Of that, $700 goes to heating alone. Michigan has long and cold seasons and the majority of energy is used to heat. Air sealing can help and so can upgrading your furnace. If you don't believe me, look into having an HVAC professional evaluate your furnace. An energy audit can save you the cost of an audit in a single heating season. It also can help you save every month after. What type of investment allows you to have a payback and a return all in the same year?
So what can you do? Start by looking at your utillity bills. Visit your gas and electric suppliers website and use their online energy auditing services. This is a great way to get an idea of where your energy is going.
Second, Look and feel around your house. Do you have drafts coming from the ceiling or floor? Do your windows have drafts? Rim joists and attics are major contributors to leakage. While you are walking around, turn your furnace fan on and feel around your ducts. All of these areas are prone to poor conditioning and air leakage.
Finally, if you know your house is not insulated well, or suspect it is not, give me a call and schedule an audit. Using calculations and air leakage equipment, I can find the leaks and determine what is your best course of action. I hope this has helped to convince you to look into an energy audit. Do some research and look into ways you know you can save money and help conserve energy.
As an example, a house with 2,600 sq. ft. uses $1,700 to heat and cool in a year. Of that, $700 goes to heating alone. Michigan has long and cold seasons and the majority of energy is used to heat. Air sealing can help and so can upgrading your furnace. If you don't believe me, look into having an HVAC professional evaluate your furnace. An energy audit can save you the cost of an audit in a single heating season. It also can help you save every month after. What type of investment allows you to have a payback and a return all in the same year?
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