Some Energy-Saving Tips for Homeowners during Fall Season

Use Solar Energy to Power Your Home:

Solar Energy will prove Energy saving during the fall. Solar energy saves up to 90% on your electricity bills. Moreover, a Combination of Solar panels with a solar battery will power your home day and night.

The federal government allows a Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) of 26% on the installation costs of Solar Panels during 2020-2022.

In addition to ITC, several states also give state solar incentives for solar installation. Other benefits of using solar energy include solar rebates and Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SERC).

So, it will be wise to switch to solar this fall because it comes up with energy savings and additional benefits in the long run.

Do not Overuse your Thermostat:

Lower your thermostat for heating your home during the day because it controls about 55% of your Electricity Bill. So, it’s good to lower your thermostat up to 66-68F during the day and use a sweater or direct sunlight to keep yourself and your home warm during the day. Lowering your thermostat during the day would be energy-saving.

OR- Use Google Nest Thermostat:   

Use Google Nest Thermostat to control your thermostat automatically. It will regulate your home temperature according to the external environment automatically. It will off your thermostat during the day to maximize the use of the sun and ultimately maximize energy saving.

You can control your thermostat by Google Nest Thermostat from anywhere. Researches have shown that a programmable thermostat can save up to $180 per year on your electricity bill.

Change/ Clean Dirty Filters:  

Change/ Clean your Dirty Filters so that allergens or dust particles in them do not result in respiratory illness. Dirty Air Filters have a poor effect on the efficiency of the HAVC system and make your HAVC system work harder. In such a situation, the HAVC system consumes more electricity to work. Your home air quality also gets less ventilated.

So, clean your dirty filters to maintain the efficiency of your HAVC system to the point that ultimately results in energy-saving.

Caulking and Weather Stripping:

Check for any SEAL LEAKS and AIR LEAKS to correct cracks or air leakages around doors and windows.

Use caulk for sealing cracks and openings around doors and window frames. Use weather stripping to settle components that move. Correcting seal leaks or air leaks inside your home is a cost-effective way of reducing the cost of heating and cooling up your home. It will improve the air quality inside your home and make your HAVC system work efficiently. 

Switch to Cost-Effective Lighting:    

Use CLFand LED bulbs instead of traditional incandescent bulbs. It proves up to 85% energy saving pieces of equipment than incandescent bulbs. In addition to this, they last around 10-25 times longer than traditional bulbs. So, it is wise to switch to cost-effective lighting during fall.

Unplug devices when not in use:

Make sure to unplug devices like desktops or other electronic appliances when not in use. These devices consume electricity even in standby mode and increase electric bills. Unplug battery chargers when batteries are charged to full because most chargers draw electricity even when there’s no device attached for charging.

Make the Direction of Ceiling fans ClockWise:

Ceiling fans, in general, are used for cooling effects. But we can also use ceiling fans to keep us warm.

That is possible by reversing the direction of ceiling fans clockwise. Reverse the ceiling fans clockwise will push down back the warm air. It will redistribute the warm breeze of your heating system to each part of the room to make sure that no corner is present with cold air inside the room.

Consume less hot water:

Water heating is the second biggest cause of high electric bills during the fall.

So, avoid using hot water for washing your clothes during fall because it is simply a wastage of electricity. Washing powders function at a temperature from 65to85 F. So, hot water is useless for washing clothes.

Similarly, avoid using hot water for dishwashing. It will result in energy-saving and saves on electricity bills.

OR- Use Solar Water Heater:

You can save money by using solar water heaters. Solar water heaters use direct sunlight for heating cold water. This water can use for bathing, drinking, washing, and other purposes. It consists of solar collectors and storage tanks.

It is an energy-saving way of generating hot water for your home. Moreover, it also increases your home value. The investment tax credit offers a credit of 26% on installing a solar water heater.

Use short wash cycles:

Wash dishes by keeping wash cycles short. Wait until the load is full in the dishwasher. Set the appliance at air-drying rather than heat-drying. This activity cuts the dishwasher’s electricity use by 15 to 50% that will be energy saving.

Take care of your Fire Damper:

Close your fire damper if not in use unless a fire is burning. Everyone likes a cozy fire in the fall. It is an energy-saving way to keep your heating bills low. 

Keep your chimney fire damper open when not in use is like lets cold air in and warm air out as long as keeping a window open. So, make sure to close the damper when not in use.

You can also do a match test if you want to confirm that either your chimney is leaky or not.

Light up a match around the seal of your fire damper to see if there is any leakage. If a flame burns out from the chimney then it indicates that your damper leaks. Now you have to call your chimney company to seal it for you.

 Switching to Solar Energy would be the best option:

As you come across this year’s best energy-saving tips for fall. Switch to solar energy would be a great initiative.

Solar energy is not only environmentally friendly; it will also prove an energy-saving for you as it saves your monthly electric bills throughout the year. For more information about solar panels and Battery installation, please visit our website SolarSME.Inc and get a free quote or reach us out at 214 556 8288 to have a detailed discussion with our energy experts.