Tips to Maximize Energy Efficiency and Comfort

Whatever the season, you want to keep your comfortable air inside the house. Doing this will help you save energy and money on fuel or electricity.  One common way to improve energy efficiency is insulating your home from outdoor elements and keeping your conditioned or heated air inside your home. Caulking and weather-stripping around the doors and windows can help prevent air leakage. Don’t forget also to seal the gaps around chimneys and flues. Make sure that attics, basements, and crawl spaces have some form of insulation to keep outside elements at bay and your comfortable air inside. Check for cracked or broken shingles on your roof and any sign of crumbling grout. If you have them, inspect your vapor barriers to see if they should be repaired or replaced. 

It’s a good idea to inspect the exterior of your Houston area home once or twice a year to see if there is anything that needs attention. A good time to do an energy home inspection is when you have your regular, professional HVAC check-up for your AC or heating system. You’ll be getting ready for an approaching season of cold or heat, so heating and cooling concerns will be on your mind.

Exterior Work That Can Save on Energy

Windows: If you’re building a new home or replacing windows, invest in vinyl- or wood-clad insulated (thermopane) windows, storm windows, and doors. Then keep them closed whenever the heat or air conditioning is on! Due to their thermodynamic properties and potential gaps, windows can be one of your biggest sources of energy drain in winter and summer. 

Clear and Clean Outdoor AC Equipment: Keep vegetation and debris well away from the outdoor AC unit of your system. Shrubs, leaves, dust, small branches, and other types of debris can block your unit's airflow. Blocked outside AC units must work harder to produce the same comfort level. You’ll spend more now … and in a few years when the equipment fails prematurely and you have to replace it.

Use Landscaping to Help Reduce Stress: However, if properly planned, you can use vegetation to keep your home cooler in summer and warmer in the winter. For example, plant a row of trees on the side of your home from which the wind comes to act as a wind block. Because deciduous trees lose their leaves in the winter, they’ll let in the sun’s light and warmth in winter; in the summer, they provide cooling shade. It’s a natural and attractive way to lessen the impact of the weather on your home. 

Note: Be careful about how close you plant anything to the house, and consider that trees and shrubs will continue to grow. A local landscape architect, reputable garden center, or state or county extension agency can help you with plant selection and placement. A poorly planned set of trees or bushes can block the light you want or become highways for pests like carpenter ants that are looking for ways to get into your home. 

Home Interior Energy Saving Tips

• Set your thermostat at the highest comfortable level in the summer and the lowest in the winter. Changing just one degree will affect energy consumption by about 4%. Every degree makes a difference.
• Installing humidifiers and dehumidifiers can make a huge difference in how the temperature feels in your home. Research your choices or ask your local HVAC expert.
• Install a programmable thermostat. It will automatically adjust the temperature at night or when you won’t be home for a long time. Some thermostats can be remotely controlled using your smartphone, saving you energy and worry when you’re out of the house. 
• Lights can be a source of indoor heat, which is a problem in the hot summers we get in the Houston area. Wherever possible, replace incandescent bulbs and fixtures with compact fluorescents. Fluorescents use less energy, produce less heat, and last much longer. Today’s fluorescents aren’t like those made only a few years ago – you can choose a warm, yellow light similar to incandescent light. You can use them in table lamps, ceiling fixtures (including ceiling fan fixtures), torchieres, and indoor and outdoor lighting. Some can be used with dimmer switches, too. Avoid halogen lamps because they create even more heat than incandescent ones.
• In the summer, keep drapes and blinds closed on the sunny side of the house during the day. In the winter, open them to take advantage of solar heat but close them at night to help keep out cold air (even if you have insulated windows).
• Insulate attics, crawl spaces, basements, and walls to the thermal resistance or “R” value recommended for your area. Your local HVAC contractor can tell you how much you need. Don’t forget to insulate ductwork exposed to cold or hot air. 
• Use a gas fireplace or put glass doors on a wood-burning fireplace. (Be sure to check with the manufacturer first – some small fireboxes with zero-clearance flues cannot be outfitted with glass doors.) Keep the damper closed whenever you’re not using the fireplace.
• In the summer, do your household chores during the coolest part of the day. Examples include cooking, laundry, washing dishes, and heavier work such as vacuuming. Check to see if your electric utility offers time-of-day pricing. That could save you even more money.

Your HVAC System Upkeep Tips

• Check air filters regularly and clean or replace them when needed. Your HVAC technician will tell you how often to do it based on the manufacturer’s recommendations and local air quality conditions.
• Make sure room vents are working correctly. Never block them with furniture, pictures, or window coverings; occasional cleaning can help with overall home air quality.
• If your home is very large or has two or more stories, consider a zoned system. A programmable thermostat in each zone can save energy and money.

Then sit back, relax, and enjoy year-round comfort!