Home owners expect to get a bill from their power company each month, but opening one for a particularly costly month might be a real shocker. If your bills seem continuously greater than what they should be, it’s time to look for unknown energy drains and consider some modifications that can make a big difference. If your living in the vicinity of Indiana, I suggest you find an indiana home inspector to help you out.
Consider these home improvement solutions to take a substantial bite out of your energy bill:
Tip 1: Analyze the roof
The sun’s rays beat down on your roof, increasing the heat level in your entire house. Your air conditioner has to work hard to offset these intense temperatures and that means an elevated energy bill. The best way to protect your home from this type of heat is to install a radiant barrier in your attic, particularly if your AC system or duct work is present.
A radiant barrier, such as Enerflex, reduces heat transfer between your roof and the attic floor where insulation is ordinarily installed. Enerflex can reflect up to 96 percent of the radiant heat energy coming from the sun back through your roof, making your attic space around 30 degrees cooler. A cooler attic results in a more comfortable and consistent temperature all throughout your house and a reduced workload on your air conditioning system and other appliances. This also leads to a lower energy bill.
Strategy 2: Look out for leaks
Regardless of what time of year it is, having even small leaks in your windows or doors is like letting money, literally, drift away. Just an 1/8-inch crack all the way around a doorway produces the same air loss as a 6-inch square hole in the center of your door, according to the Edison Electric Institute.
There are many ways to check for window and door leaks, from holding a candle flame near the crack and assessing how much the flame moves to sliding a piece of paper through the opening to see if it catches or tears. If you locate a leak, the easiest option is to add weather-stripping around doors and to caulk windows. Don’t forget to check once a year to see if any repairs or replacements are required.
Suggestion 3: Change the bulbs
You’ve very likely heard lots about switching to much more energy saving light bulbs, but maybe you’re unsure if it actually makes a difference. Consider this: houses that make use of Energy Star-qualified light bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than typical incandescent bulbs and they last a minimum of six times longer.
Also, an incandescent lamp is really more of a heater than a light, with almost 90 percent of the input energy being converted and lost in waste heat rather than light, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. All of those little heaters heat up your house fast and you must turn on fans and your air conditioner to manage the temperature. Switch your light bulbs and the financial benefits will follow.
Keeping power bills low is a challenge, nevertheless with the proper tactics you can decrease your power bill and help the environment, a winning combination for everyone.
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Certainty Home Inspections
4317 Charlestown Road
New Albany, IN 47150
812-590-4118
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