Heating accounts for a large percentage of the average home’s power consumption, making it an ideal target for energy savings. By reducing your home’s heating requirements or “load” as much as possible, while at the same time boosting the efficiency of your heating equipment, you can reduce your energy costs.

Your home’s heating load depends on a variety of factors including insulation levels, air leaks, ventilation, window efficiency and sun exposure. To reduce your heating load as much as possible, try implementing the following tips:

• Make sure you have adequate insulation in your walls, floors, attic and basement.
• Seal air leaks in the exterior of your home. Common problem areas for leaks include the spaces around windows, doors, plumping pipes, ductwork and wires, as well as inside your attic and basement.
• Consider installing a heat recovery ventilation system to bring fresh air into your home without sacrificing energy efficiency.
• Install Energy Star-labeled double pane windows.
• Take advantage of the natural heat from the sun by opening your blinds or curtains to allow sunshine in during the winter.
• Close your blinds or curtains at night to minimize heat loss through your windows.

Once you have reduced your heating load as much as possible, take the following steps to boost the efficiency of your furnace, ductwork and thermostat:

• Schedule an annual tune-up for your furnace to keep it in tip-top shape. Additionally, replace your furnace filter regularly throughout the winter heating season.
• Seal any leaks in your ductwork to prevent energy loss. Also, be sure to install insulation around your ducts anywhere that they travel through unheated spaces such as your garage, attic or basement.
• Invest in a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust the temperature up or down according to your personal schedule.

By reducing your heating load while simultaneously improving the efficiency of your heating equipment, you can significantly reduce your overall energy usage. If you live in the Asheville area and would like to learn more about improving the efficiency of your heating system, contact us at Smoky Mountain Heating & Air.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about steps to control home heating load and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Smoky Mountain Heating & Air services Asheville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!