With yet another holiday season underway, we tend to get busy fairly quickly; we become preoccupied in all the preparation for all the holiday-related activities, festivities and fun.

Understanding this is the nature of wintertime, before things get too hectic, our certified HVAC technicians at Monroe Heating & Air offer some energy saving suggestions for homeowners.

They say it would serve each and every homeowner well to do a quick check of their home’s heating system to make sure they have all the necessary comfort in the most energy-efficient ways possible.

Primarily, this boils down to staying current with your HVAC system’s maintenance schedule, among other things. Getting an analysis and tune-up of your home heating system, you can avoid potential breakdowns, unexpected expenses and possible energy inefficiencies.

A little bit of time and attention now will serve you well throughout the winter months and give you peace of mind and confidence that your system is in its prime.

The Following is Our Top 10 Tips to Save Energy this winter:

1. Furnace/HVAC System Maintenance
This is at the top of our list for good reason! That reason is that a homeowner won’t find a substitute for professional maintenance during the heating season. As part of a routine appointment, we come out to your home and inspect your home heating system to make sure everything is correctly functioning, tuning it up and performing a whole list of duties and cleanings. Ideally, it’s best to schedule maintenance appointments long before any holiday gatherings, parties or events. As such, fall time is the ideal time to prepare your home for winter’s rigorous demands.

2. Consider Upgrading Outdated, Inefficient Heating Systems
Outdated heating systems can be unreliable and massive energy drains; these inefficiencies combine to waste untold amounts of money. Because of this, getting a reputable local HVAC contractor to check your furnace’s efficiency, its energy consumption and performance abilities will give you an idea of how much money you’re losing and whether it would be a good idea to upgrade. Although HVAC system upgrades are expensive, in the long run they pay off because of the savings from energy efficiencies added to reliability and superior comfort with peace of mind. When a home heating system (or furnace) is more than 10 years old, it can make more sense and be more cost-effective to just go ahead and replace it with a more efficient model you can count on that can reduce your energy costs by as much as 40 percent.

3. Look At Your Insulation
The amount of insulation you have in your attic has a major effect on your furnace’s performance ability. Because of this, we recommend reducing the load on your home heating system by making sure your attic has sufficient levels of insulation, at least enough to keep your precious and expensive heated air from escaping through the roof. When you have a sufficient amount of attic insulation, your furnace does not need to work as hard to maintain desired temperature levels, and this saves you energy and money that adds up big time in the long run.

4. Install A Smart Thermostat
An excellent way to reduce energy costs during the winter is to upgrade your home’s thermostat to a thermostat with better control abilities over your indoor air temperature. Smart thermostats and programmable thermostats are excellent options that pay for themselves quickly. These smart devices know when you’re away from home and when you’re there and remember your patterns and adjust temperature levels accordingly to save money.

5. Get Your Cooling System Upgraded At the Same Time
We get it: Cooling your home is the last thing on your mind during the wintertime. Nonetheless, if you are getting a new heating system or furnace installed, you can save a lot more money, time and energy by having your central cooling system upgraded at the same time.

6. Keep Your Furnace Filters Fresh
When a home heating system or furnace has filters that are dirty, obstructed or inadequate, they block essential airflow and decrease the energy efficiency of your whole system. Fall is the best time to clean or replace your air filters, so if you haven’t checked them yet, please let this serve as a reminder to do so. Moving into the winter air filters need to be replaced almost every month, variations depending on how fast it becomes dirty. If you or anyone in your home suffers from allergies or asthma, it is worth checking into a furnace filter or HVAC system air filter upgrade that can improve your Indoor Air Quality.

7. Keep Air Vents and Registers Clean and Open
If you have not done so yet, let this be a reminder this is a good time to go around your residence and check all your home’s air vents and registers to guarantee they are all clean, open and free of obstructions. Remove anything that may be blocking them such as rugs, drapes or furniture.

8. Take Your Thermostat Lower
If you’re looking to save money, reduce your thermostat slightly to see if you’re still comfortable with an indoor air temperature that’s slightly cooler than what you’ve had it set to. Wear warmer clothing. The more you can lower your thermostat’s setting safely, the more energy and money you’ll save as a result.

9. Check Around For Air Drafts
With this tip, you’ll want to go around your residence room by room checking everywhere for air leakage or air drafts that might be allowing the cool air inside and warm air escape. Keep in mind that it is especially important to do this around doors and windows, which are more susceptible to air drafts. .

10. Educate Yourself Further About Energy Efficiency
Educate yourself and stay up to date on energy efficiency tips, trends and products. While doing this, keep tabs on your home’s energy consumption over time. Ongoing self education on energy efficiency, along with staying current on your HVAC system’s repair and maintenance needs, will pay off over time. All this adds up when you look at the big picture, as any wise homeowner should do.

Make That Maintenance Appointment Now!
When you are ready to have your Southwest Ohio’s home heating system, furnace or heat pump inspected and tuned-up with that all-important preventive maintenance visit, we at Monroe Heating & Air are standing by. Keep in mind, it’s better late than never. Give us a call today at (513) 540-4890, or click here to schedule an appointment now!