Many of the comforts and conveniences you enjoy at home are powered by a mostly unseen and somewhat mysterious electrical system. Since you use it on a daily basis, it’s good to know more about this complex system and how it functions.
Many of the comforts and conveniences you enjoy at home are powered by a mostly unseen and somewhat mysterious electrical system. Since you use it on a daily basis, it’s good to know more about this complex system and how it functions.
If you’re tired of paying high utility bills and are looking for ways to reduce energy consumption at home, performing some energy tests is a good way to find areas where you can make improvements. Here are some common trouble spots to check and fixes to make to start saving energy.
Homeowners looking for another way to save money on utilities can conduct a home energy evaluation or audit. By following the tips below, you’ll find the places in your home where you might be losing conditioned air, or where external conditions could be adversely impacting your home’s efficiency.
Summers in Grand Traverse County may be mild, but the winters are long and fierce. Taking a bit of extra time to prepare your house before the onset of winter will ensure that your home will be cozy and warm, regardless of how cold it is outside. Here are some home maintenance suggestions to help smoothly transition to cold weather.
Are you spending too much to keep your home comfortable throughout the heating and cooling seasons? If you’re not sure what improvements will solve the problem, a professional energy audit can identify solutions to help you reduce energy waste and lower your utility bills.
A home energy audit is great for finding ways to improve the energy efficiency of your home, and a blower door test is a major component of it. Blower door tests are used to check how airtight your home is. Having an airtight home helps lower your energy bills by reducing the amount of conditioned air that escapes. It also helps avoid issues with cold drafts and moisture problems due to condensation.
Your home-energy evaluation usually ends with the auditor giving you a list of suggested improvements to help improve your energy use. How do you prioritize the items on that list? You need to let certain factors dictate your priorities:
If you own an older home in the Grand Traverse County area, you may be wary about making any upgrades that alter your home’s appearance for the sake of increased energy efficiency. This is tough because you’re really going to feel the energy costs during the upcoming winter season. However, there are many ways you can increase your older home’s energy efficiency without sacrificing its charm.
Compared to the energy consumption of some other home systems like your furnace, standby energy is relatively minor; however, taking action to control how much standby power is consumed can net you some real savings in energy dollars over the course of a year.
Home energy efficiency is important to most Grand Traverse County homeowners. Whether you’re concerned about your budget, your home’s comfort level or the environment, saving energy where you can just makes sense.