Improve Your Energy Usage With Simple Household Alterations

It's easy to cringe over your energy bills when winter's cold or summer's heat takes over. However, you don't have to spend a fortune on a brand new heating, cooling and air conditioning system just to save money on energy costs in the future. Use some of these basic household tricks to lower your energy usage without a huge price tag.

Install a New HVAC Control Panel

Most central air systems use a combination control panel for all operations. Replace your old panel with a modern model to see a difference in your energy use. These thermostats use your favorite set temperatures to eventually automate their processes. If you turn the thermostat up to 78 degrees Fahrenheit every summer weekday when leaving for work, these panels will learn this setting and change automatically in time.

Clean Your Interior and Exterior HVAC Units

Dirty HVAC units cannot operate efficiently, forcing them to use more energy for the same operations. Vacuum your interior unit to remove dust from any visible surface. Remove any debris piling up around or within the outdoor unit. Condensers and evaporators need to interact with the surrounding air. If they're clean, they operate with little stress with only a minimal energy amount to continue normal use.

Close the Blinds

Even if you haven't altered your HVAC units yet, simply shielding the home's interior from the hot sun reduces energy use. Older windows are especially notorious for allowing damaging ultraviolet radiation into the home. Carpets and walls fade from the sunlight, along with adding extra heat to the household. Keep the shades drawn and turn on some fans to cool the interior without turning on the air conditioning.

Cold Laundry Tips

It's not necessary to wash every laundry load with warm or hot water. In fact, detergent manufacturers are creating products that work perfectly with cold water. Use cold water with the proper detergent for almost all loads to see your energy bill drop significantly. If you run five to seven loads a week for a family of four, cold water washing will save a lot of money.

Your energy provider, such as Palmco, can always offer energy-saving suggestions through monthly newsletters or even social media. Stay close to your energy provider to benefit from their expertise to lower your monthly bills. Help your household save money while benefiting the environment with reduced fossil fuel use.