Hot summer, cool house, and low energy bills.
As the summer heat starts rising and everyone is trying to avoid melting like a popsicle, we have some tips for keeping your temperature low and your energy bills even lower.
The average household spends $875 a year on heating and cooling. That’s nearly half the home’s total energy bill. And with the cost to the environment being equally high – the energy used in the average house can emit twice as much greenhouse gases as the average car – homeowners have every reason to implement some summertime savings projects from ENERGY STAR.
Insulation
The attic doesn’t just hide your old yearbooks and holiday decorations, it’s also where you can find some of the largest opportunities to save energy in your home.
By adding insulation in your attic, it’s easier to keep your home at a desirable temperature. Check your attic’s insulation and add more if you can see the floor joists. This will help block hot air in your attic from coming in your house. Most people don’t enjoy sweating it out in the attic at this time of year, so be sure to check out one of the many qualified contractors who can help you get the work done.
Ducts
In houses with forced-air heating and cooling systems, ducts are used to distribute that refreshingly conditioned air throughout the house. In a typical house, about 20-30 percent of the air that moves through the duct system is lost due to leaks, holes, and poor connections. Sealing your ducts is the key to blocking incoming heat and preventing the cool air flowing through your ducts from leaking out.
Sealing your ducts and adding proper levels of insulation can help you save up to $200 on your annual utility bills. ENERGY STAR has many more tips, big and small, to help you beat the heat this summer here.
Bonus:
Tune in for other cool home green tips, in this latest At Home segment on The Green Divas Radio Show.
Tune in to The Green Divas Radio Show—and other green and healthy living podcasts—daily on GDGDRadio.com (or get the GDGD Radio app)!
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Drew
June 20, 2016 at 2:27 pm
Great energy saving tips! Sealing your ducts is a good way to ensure your air flow works efficiently and it will save you money in the long run. Thanks for the advice!
Green Energy Audits
October 20, 2016 at 12:16 am
Thanks for the great share! I also like the idea of Home Energy. The best part I like is this: The reliability and availability of modern energy sources cause people to tend to assume that it will always be accessible. And as for the case of non-renewable energy sources, most people do not know or maybe even refuse to accept that it will eventually run out.