For most homeowners, the costs associated with keeping a home heated or cooled is one of their biggest expenses. In an effort to reduce these costs, as well as make their homes more eco-friendly, many homeowners are interested in making their residences more energy efficient. There are many ways to improve your home's energy efficiency, so you can keep your home at a comfortable temperature without emptying your bank account each month. 

Upgrade Your Home's Insulation

The insulation in your home is essential to how energy efficient your home is. A poorly insulated home will let air from the outdoors in, while also letting your climate controlled air out. Poor insulation is often found in older homes, but even newer homes can lack proper insulation if the builder built the house with low quality insulation. One of the best ways to lower heating and cooling bills is by upgrading your home's insulation. Start in the attic, by replacing the fiberglass insulation with new insulation. If that doesn't make a big impact, you may also want to consider having insulation blown into your walls, especially the exterior walls of your home.

Get Your HVAC Unit Tuned Up

If your HVAC until has not been maintained, there is a good chance that it is not running as efficiently as it could. When you notice that your air conditioner or heater is running constantly, or if your home does not stay at a comfortable temperature, it is a good idea to contact an HVAC company to perform a comprehensive tune up. A simple tune up can increase your HVAC unit's efficiency substantially, resulting in lower heating and cooling costs.

Utilize Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans do a great job of circulating climate controlled air, taking some of the stress off of your HVAC unit and allowing you to stay comfortable without constantly running your air conditioner or heater. During the summer months, make sure the blades are spinning in a counterclockwise direction, which will produce a cool breeze in the room. When winter comes, use the reverse switch on your ceiling fan so it spins in a clockwise motion, which will pull down warm air trapped near the ceiling.

Install a Programmable Thermostat

One of the biggest ways to waste money on heating and cooling your home is to run your HVAC unit when no one is home. You can ensure that your home is at a comfortable temperature when you get home from work without running the HVAC unit all day long by installing a programmable thermostat. This will allow you to set different temperatures for different times of the day, which can save you a lot of money in the long run since your HVAC unit will not be running as much.

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