By Jim Ellia on Nov 2, 2015 in energy efficiency, Residential, Thermostats |

When you’re walking throughout your home, do you notice a vast difference in room temperatures? Are there certain cold spots that just never seem to warm up, or rooms that get vast amounts of sunlight and seem stuffy and hot all the time? Do you have an addition on your house where the temperature never matches the other rooms? If the answers to any of these questions were yes, then it might be a good idea to consider a zoning system. What is a Zoning System? Unlike a traditional HVAC system with one thermostat to control the heating and cooling throughout the entire house, a zoning system allows a homeowner to control the temperatures for various rooms of the home independently. One thermostat can be somewhat ineffective, because the different floors and areas of your home may have several factors that affect the temperatures. Having multiple thermostats instead of just one allows homeowners to direct the heated or cooled air where it’s most needed. A zoning system communicates with the thermostats, opening and closing dampers installed within your home’s ductwork. The Benefits of Zoning Systems for Your Home   The types of homes that can benefit from a zoning system include those with multiple levels or finished attics or basements, a new addition (usually built on a concrete slab or over the garage, for instance), and homes with larger floor plans. Or, if some of the rooms in your home have large windows or even an entire wall of windows, zoning systems can help regulate the temperatures in these spaces. Some of the other benefits of a zoning system include: Increase energy efficiency. Homeowners can see an increase in their home’s energy efficiency with a zoning system. According to the Department of Energy, the average savings you can see in your energy bills is around 30%! Maximize indoor air comfort. When you’re able to control the temperature levels throughout your home, you’ll notice a different in the comfort of each room. Maybe one member of your family is always cold at night; you can adjust the settings so that person’s room is warmer than the others. Decrease wear and tear on your HVAC system. A zoning system can increase...

By Jim Ellia on Jul 6, 2015 in energy efficiency |

It’s heating up outside, which means it’s probably getting warmer inside your home, too! Constantly running your air conditioning to keep things cool can have a big impact on your energy bill, but there are a few things you can do to keep your costs down during these warmer months. Keeping an Energy Efficient Home throughout Summer It’s important to keep your home comfortable for your family throughout the summer, but how can you do so without paying the price on an insanely high energy bill? Follow these summer energy efficiency tips to save on your energy costs: Turn out the lights. Leaving unnecessary lights on eats up energy. When you exit a room, make it a habit to flick the light switch- especially if you’re leaving for an extended amount of time. Plus, much of the energy emitted from a light bulb is heat! Close the shades. Keep the hot summer sun from warming up your house by closing the window shades and blinds, especially throughout the hottest parts of the day. Cook outside. Summer is the perfect time to make use of that gas or charcoal grill that’s been sitting unused over the winter. Plus, running your oven or stove on a hot summer’s day can increase the temperature in your kitchen by as much as 10 degrees! Save the chores for the evening. Put off the heat and moisture-inducing tasks like laundry, ironing, running the dishwasher, etc., until the later hours of the day. Avoid using the heated dry option on your dishwasher, too, and let the dishes air dry. Keep the doors closed. Constantly opening and closing doors allows cool air to escape and warm air to come in. Try to avoid unnecessary trips in and out of the house as much as possible. Replace your filter. A clean filter will allow your air conditioning unit to run much more efficiently, so remember to replace it every month for maximum benefit. A dirty filter will restrict the airflow in your home, making your system work that much harder and longer, thus increasing the energy output. Unplug appliances not in use. Most new appliances use electricity even when they aren’t turned on an in use. An...

By Jim Ellia on May 25, 2015 in energy efficiency |

If you’re currently living in a home that was built before the 1970s, chances are it’s not quite as energy efficient as it could be. Whether you home has an inefficient HVAC system or drafty windows, these issues can be costing you a great deal of money on your energy bills if they haven’t been upgraded to the new, higher standards of today. Energy Efficient Home Renovations Making some energy efficient home renovations doesn’t have to completely drain your bank account. There are actually some affordable, easy ways to make your home more energy efficient- and you’ll be saving money in the grand scheme of things. Some of home improvements to make your home more energy efficient that you should consider adding to your renovation list include: New lightbulbs. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs have been on the market for several years now, and if you’re still using the old bulbs, it’s time to swap them out with the new ones. Even the new incandescent bulbs are 30% more energy efficient. Seal it up. Grab the caulk and seal up any of those cracks around window and door frames. Not allowing cold air to seep in anymore will help lower those energy bills. Solar lighting outside. If you enjoy spending time out in your yard, get rid of those electric lights and replace them with solar lighting. Solar lighting soaks up energy from the sun throughout the day and will easily light up your pathways at night. Install a high efficiency water heater. A new water heater can help lower your monthly energy costs, because water heating takes up around 25% of the annual energy usage in your home. Tank-less water heaters or even just a better insulated water heater are considered a significant upgrade over an older unit. Add more insulation. Putting additional insulation in your attic can help keep your home more comfortable year round. Install a programmable thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat is a simple way to make your home more energy efficient. It’s estimated that you can save around $180 per year on your energy bills with a properly programmed thermostat. Replace old windows and doors. Replacing drafty windows can be quite an expense initially, but it’s...