6 Helpful Tips to Keep Energy Costs Low This Winter

During the winter months in Woodbridge, Virginia, the temperatures drop and remain low throughout the season. Many homeowners notice spikes in their energy bills during the winter, which can cause a financial strain. Instead of suffering through another costly heating season, check out these helpful tips to keep your energy bills low this winter:

HVAC System Maintenance

One of the best ways to keep your energy bills under control is to keep up with regular HVAC maintenance. An HVAC professional should always perform this task during the spring and fall seasons to make sure your system is operating efficiently.

During maintenance service, your service technician will test the unit and make sure air is flowing efficiently throughout the home. They will also visually inspect all components of your system to look for signs of wear or damage. If anything is out of the ordinary, the service technician can perform any necessary repairs right away. As a result, you’ll reduce the risk of further damage to the system and a major breakdown.

Check Your Ducts

The ducts in your home connect to the central heating and air conditioning system, allowing the air to move throughout the rooms. When there are gaps or holes in your ducts, the heated and cooled air will escape, which wastes a lot of energy. As a result, your bills may start to creep up. Inefficient ducts can also reduce the lifespan of your system because it has to work harder to move air throughout the home.

It’s not easy to know when your ducts have issues. But you may hear hissing sounds when the HVAC system is operating. A service technician can take a closer look to determine whether gaps in the ducts are causing the rising bills and come up with a plan to resolve the issue.

Replace Light Bulbs

One way to reduce your bills is to replace any inefficient light bulbs you still have in your home. Any incandescent bulbs should be swapped out with LED bulbs, which are up to 90 percent more efficient. Although LED bulbs are more expensive upfront, they can save you a lot of money per bulb. These bulbs also last a lot longer than incandescent bulbs, so they’re well worth the investment.

Program Your Thermostat

If you haven’t programmed your thermostat, you may be wasting extra energy by making manual adjustments every time the temperature shifts. A programmable unit allows the system to operate more efficiently by not having to cycle on and off as frequently, which uses more energy.

Add to your savings by adding a smart thermostat to your home. You can program and manage this type of thermostat from an app on your phone. Smart thermostats also have built-in features designed to reduce energy waste and make automatic shifts to keep your energy bills low.

Replace Outdated Appliances

Outdated appliances can also be culprits behind high monthly energy bills. In most households, up to 20 percent of the total energy used comes from running appliances like washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and ranges. By upgrading to more efficient models, you can reduce waste and trim your bills.

As you’re shopping, look for appliances that display the Energy Star logo. These units meet certain standards for performance and efficiency. Even though they’ll cost a bit more up front, they’ll save you more over time. As a result, they’ll pay for themselves.

Use Sunlight

During the winter months, temperatures drop drastically in the Woodbridge area. Instead of running your heating system on full blast, which can waste a lot of energy, try to use the sunlight to your advantage. Keep your windows uncovered during the winter months to allow the sunlight to naturally warm your home. Remember to cover them at night to prevent the solar heat from escaping.

The HVAC professionals at Brennan’s Heating & Air Conditioning can help you reduce energy waste and keep your HVAC system operating efficiently. Contact us at 703-783-0145 to learn more about our services. We look forward to helping you lower your energy costs this winter.

Image provided by Shutterstock