Levittown Leader Newspaper Article

Do you want to be more comfortable in your home and reduce your energy costs at the same time? As we all know it has been a very hard winter. I am sure that most of you are still recovering from the amount of money it has cost to heat your home over the winter and most have probably sacrificed comfort for cost.

A few relatively inexpensive changes can turn into savings for the upcoming cooling season and prepare you for the next heating season:

Check/change your filter monthly. A dirty filter impedes the efficiency of your system by making it work harder and costing you more money to operate. A clean filter will prevent dirt and dust from building up in your unit. By overlooking this simple and inexpensive maintenance can lead to expensive repairs or having a total system failure therefore shortening the life span of your system.

Tune up your heating/air conditioning system annually. This should be performed by a qualified technician, A dirty heater operates inefficiently much the same way a poorly maintained car would.. By doing annual maintenance you increase efficiency and reliability while decreasing repairs and oil usage. Another issue is running out of oil. Stay on top of your oil consumption. Running out of oil is not good for your heater. If you think of your heater as your car, you get better gas mileage when it is tuned up and if you run out of gas you are stranded. Your heater is the same way. By cleaning your heater you improve efficiency. By improving efficiency you use less oil. By using less oil it is less of a monetary hardship on your family. By keeping oil in your tank you are never stranded without heat or hot water. It also saves you money by not having a repairman come out to get you started.

As the cooling season approaches insuring that your air conditioner is tuned up and operating at peak efficiency will improve your family’s comfort and save money. Always remember to check those filters.

Use programmable thermostats. Installing a programmable thermostat is an inexpensive investment that can save considerable energy and money. You can raise the thermostat in the summer by a few degrees when you are not home and when you sleep. All without sacrificing comfort. Keep the shades and curtains drawn during the hottest part of the day will keep your home cooler and reduce the amount of time your system is running. This all puts money back in your pocket!

You should consider a whole house energy audit. This will point out the energy loss in your home. You also get a comprehensive list of things to do that will help save you money in the long run. Again, for a small investment now the savings over the time in your home will be substantial. Of course the next big benefit is comfort. You will be able to keep your home more comfortable by spending less to do it.