- Have a qualified HVAC professional inspect your home’s ducts and cooling equipment.
- Set your thermostat to 68°F when you’re at home and awake, and as low as 60°F when you’re asleep or awake.
- Clean or replace furnace filters every month.
- Clean chimney and check to see if your fireplace is working properly.
- Seal air leaks in the attic, basement and crawlspace, and also around windows and doors.
- Insulate inside of windows with heavy-duty, clear plastic sheets.
- Check your attic for proper insulation. (The U.S. Department of Energy suggests a value between R-22 and R-49.)
- Close curtains or shades at night and keep them open during the day Clean windows on the south side of your house to maximize sunlight exposure. Weather-strip doors that lead to cold or outside areas. Wrap and insulate waterlines to prevent them from freezing. Repair leaky faucets.
- Install a programmable thermostat, so you can preset temperatures for different times of the day. Insulate the water tank and first six feet of hot and cold water pipes connected to the unit.
- Lower the temperature of your water heater to 120°F (for every 10-degree decrease in temperature, you may save 3% – 5% on your energy costs).
- Install rubber gaskets behind outlets and use switch plates on exterior walls. Install low-flow showerheads.
- Things you can do to improve air quality and reduce potential health risks:
- When adjusting clocks, change batteries in smoke alarms, as well as radon and carbon monoxide detectors. Consider a ventilation system to increase air circulation inside and add a healthy dose of fresh air. Clean water-damaged carpets and materials, or consider replacement. Reduce the potential for buildup of allergy-causing pollutants by keeping your house clean
- Take special precaution when operating fuel-burning appliances to avoid leakage. Store and dispose of household chemicals in a safe manner.
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