Smart Investments That Promise Long-Term Energy Savings

Managing cooling costs is a must for homeowners in South Florida. Investing in a few smart energy-saving projects ensures lower energy bills. In our region, homeowners get the most bang for their buck by investing in projects that keep heat out and reduce heat gain inside the home. In that way, the cooling system doesn’t have to work harder than it should to cool the home.

These projects promise long-term energy savings:

• Use window treatments – Inefficient windows do little to block heat from the sun, raising the cooling load of the home and causing your air conditioner to run longer cycles, which increases energy consumption. Consider investing in effective window treatments; when closed, drapes prevent heat gain. Window films are a long-term solution for limiting heat gain over the season, while allowing light to stream through the window and maintaining a view to the outdoors.
• Install a programmable thermostat – If you haven’t already done so, installing a programmable thermostat gives you easy control over your home’s interior temperature, limiting how often and how long the air conditioner must run.
• Use ceiling fans – Running the ceiling fans in your home encourages energy savings, because you’ll feel cooler as a result of the wind-chill effect they create, and you can then raise the home’s temperature setting — without a noticeable difference in comfort.
• Schedule maintenance – Ensuring that your air conditioner or heat pump receives annual service goes a long way toward efficient system operations. In fact, regular maintenance extends the life of your HVAC system, an easy way to guarantee long-term energy savings.
• Limit heat gain – A no-cost step to savings, a reduction in the amount of heat your home systems, such as lighting, the stove and more, generate means the A/C won’t have to compensate with more cooled air.
• Seal air leaks – Find areas where warm air is entering your air conditioned home (or heated air is escaping) and seal them with caulk, spray foam or weatherstripping, depending on the situation.

For expert advice on long-term energy savings, please contact us at NisAir Air Conditioning & Heating today. We’re happy to conduct a free home consultation and help you choose smart projects that generate lasting savings. Serving homeowners in the Martin, Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Indian River counties.