HTG Energy Saving Tips

Cut Energy Costs Up To 50%

It costs you more money and uses more energy to heat and cool your home than any other system in your home. Typically, 44% to 50% of your utility bills pays for heating and cooling your home. Regardless of the kind of heating system you have in your house, you can save money and increase comfort by properly maintaining and upgrading your equipment. Keep in mind that an energy efficient furnace alone will not have as great an impact on your energy bills as using an approach that involves the entire house. If you combine proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with appropriate insulation, weatherization and thermostat settings, you can reduce your energy bills by 50%.

General No-Cost Tips:

Set your thermostat as low as comfortably possible.
Clean or replace furnace filters each month.
Clean baseboard heaters, warm-air registers, and radiators as needed; always make sure they're not blocked by drapes, carpeting, or furniture.
Use kitchen, bath and other ventilating fans wisely. These fans can pull out a houseful of warmed air in just one hour. Remember to turn these fans off as soon as they have done the job.
Take advantage of “passive solar.” During the colder months, open blinds, draperies and shades on south-facing windows to allow the sun’s friendly rays to warm your home. You’ll be surprised at how effective this is. Close them at night to reduce the chill and keep warm air inside.
Close any unoccupied rooms that are isolated from the rest of the house, such as corner rooms, and turn down the thermostat or turn off the heating for that room or zone altogether. However, if it adversely affects the rest of your system, do not turn the heating off.

Here are a few more steps you can take to substantially improve your home’s energy efficiency.

Take a Holistic Approach
Conduct a Home Energy Audit
Follow the WADLOT Rule (Warm Dress Lower Temperature)
Use a Digital Setback Thermostat
Have Air Ducts Cleaned
Check Door & Window Seals
Check for Duct Leaks
Get a Heating System Tune-up
Replace Inefficient Systems
Add a Heat Pump

Take a Holistic Approach to Total Home Energy Conservation
To achieve the maximum in total home comfort and energy savings, we recommend that you step back and look at the big picture of energy consumption in your home. The fact is, your total home comfort and efficiency is the product of many systems: heating, cooling, lighting & electrical, plumbing and possibly others working together. It is the interplay between these systems, combined with the size, age, physical features and location of your home, and even your lifestyle, that combine to produce the total energy efficiency of your home. Changing or upgrading one system, without considering the other factors will usually result in some improvement, but may not deliver the maximum possible benefit.

If you’re building a new home, or considering a major remodel or system upgrade, consider an Integrated Systems approach. It may cost a little more now, but will undoubtedly save you a bundle over time. Our skilled engineers and technicians will look at the big picture when designing a solution for your home. Call 1-800-267-8808 now for a FREE, no-obligation systems evaluation and estimate today. Or, click here to request a call from one of our home comfort and efficiency specialists.

Conduct a Home Energy Audit
The place to begin when evaluating your home’s overall energy efficiency and deciding how to reduce consumption and costs is with a Home Energy Audit. This takes into consideration much more than just your heating and cooling systems, and will give you a benchmark from which to make decisions and measure your energy saving progress.

Here are some of the heating/cooling factors your audit should take into consideration:

Insulation in walls, floors, and attic.

Vapor Barriers in walls

Quality of Windows – Single or double pane

Heat loss around doors and windows

Quality of insulation in doors

Integrity of ductwork – any leaks

Cleanliness of ductwork

Use of “passive” solar energy

Use of drapes and other window coverings to prevent heat loss

Efficiency of heating and cooling systems – condition of filters, etc.

For a detailed report on how to conduct a Home Energy Audit, call our customer service team at 1-800-267-8808 or send an email to solanoheating.com

Follow The WADLOT Rule—WArm Dress LOwer Temperature
It takes a surprising amount more energy to raise the temperature in your home from 68 to 70 degrees F than from 66 to 68. On the other hand, if you insulate your body sufficiently, your own natural body heat will keep you plenty warm. That’s the essence of the WADLOT rule: WArm Dress LOwer Temperature. Believe it or not, you can cut your heating costs by 10% to 25% simply by lowering the thermostat at night when everyone is tucked cozily into their beds, and at other times when no one’s home. We recommend setting your thermostat no higher than 65 degrees during the daytime and dropping it to 55 to 60 degrees at night. Compensate with a sweater or extra blanket and you’ll never know the difference. Meantime, take some extra comfort in knowing you’re doing your bit for conservation and in the spare cash you’ll have for that extra indulgence. Always consider the age and health of family members when following this rule.

Consider the Use of a Digital Setback Thermostat
Automate your WADLOT compliance with a new digital thermostat. This convenient new technology eliminates the necessity of remembering to turn down the heat at night or at other times when you know no one is going to be home. You just program the thermostat to “set back” at the appropriate times and forget it. Other features to look for in your thermostat: multiple daily settings, override or HOLD, and advanced recovery. Always look for the “Energy Star” logo on your thermostat. This symbol indicates that the product has been recognized by the EPA as an energy efficient product. (See Heating Controls in our product catalog for Digital Thermostat options)

Have Your Air Ducts Cleaned
Believe it or not, dirty air ducts can cost you up to 25% of the efficiency of your home heating and air conditioning systems. They can also be a breeding ground for germs and allergens that are then circulated and recirculated to every room in your home. Cleaning your ducts periodically (at least every 2 to 3 years) will help keep your comfort systems operating efficiently and protect the health and well being of every member of the family. (Click Here to schedule an Air Duct Cleaning or Get Estimate)

Check the Seals Around Doors & Windows
Here’s an obvious one. When was the last time you checked the caulk around your windows? Especially if you live in an older home, this material can harden and crack with age. Periodically it needs to be repaired or chipped away and replaced. This is an easy maintenance task that can make a significant difference in the comfort of your home. Exterior Doors should fit snugly and have appropriate weather stripping to avoid heat loss and prevent drafts. A storm door can also help prevent heat loss and keep you cozy in winter and cool in the summer months.

Make Sure There Are No Leaks In Your Air Ducts
It may surprise you to learn that a single leak in an air duct can cost you up to 25% of the efficiency of your furnace or air conditioning system. Over time, ductwork can shift and settle in a home. Seals between lengths of ducting can become cracked or broken and leaks can develop. Don’t let these silent burglars rob you blind! Especially if your home is over 10 years old, a simple duct inspection and repair is a quick and affordable way to make sure your system is intact and operating at peak efficiency. (To schedule an Air Duct Inspection or Repair Estimate, call 1-800-267-8808 or email us at solanoheating.com

Have Your Heating System Tuned-up Regularly
Regular system maintenance is the single most important thing you can do to avoid major problems and repairs, keep your furnace running and peak efficiency and add years to its useful life. But beware: many service companies settle for a simple “clean & check.” It may be cheap and it might make you feel better, but this kind of service is often too superficial to spot many serious flaws that could cause you trouble down the road. Insist on an in-depth system tune-up at least once each year. Solano Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. offers a 33-Point Precision tune-up that ensures that your system is running efficiently and is free of any mechanical weaknesses or flaws that could cause a breakdown or premature failure of your system. And the service is even GUARANTEED. For more details about our exclusive tune-up, go to our 33-Point Precision Tune-up page or call a customer service representative at 1-800-267-8808 now. You may also email us at solanoheating.com to schedule a Tune-up.

Consider Replacing Your Older Energy-Wasting Equipment With Today’s High-Efficiency Systems
If your system is more than ten years old, you can probably SAVE A LOT OF MONEY by replacing your gas or oil burning Furnace, Boiler, or Heat Pump with a modern, high-efficiency unit. With the skyrocketing cost of fuel and electricity, the savings in your utility bills could literally offset the cost of the new equipment. And many states and municipalities are offering rebate incentives to switch to more efficient systems. If you think it may be time to consider a new integrated system or to replace your existing furnace, boiler, air conditioner or other component, why not call 1-800-267-8808 today and inquire about our FREE home comfort analysis. A trained technician will evaluate your home’s comfort systems and provide a full set of options along with a written estimate of replacement/installation costs and projected energy savings.

A Heat Pump Could Augment Your Energy Savings
Since when can you add more equipment and save money as a result? If you use electricity to heat your home, a heat pump system may do just that. Heat pumps are more efficient than conventional heating systems. In fact, of all the conventional heating systems available today, heat pumps alone can return more energy than they consume. This is possible because heat pumps use energy to transfer heat and intensify it, rather than to create it. A heat pump is basically a refrigerator. It uses energy only to run the fan and the compressor. A heat pump can trim the amount of electricity you use for heating as much as 30% to 40%. Heat pumps are the most efficient form of electric heating in moderate climates; they return three times the amount of electrical energy they consume in amount of heat they provide. The three types of heat pumps: air-to-air, water source and ground source. In a nutshell, they collect heat from the air, water or ground outside your home and concentrate it for use inside.

Not only can heat pumps save you money while heating your home, they can also double as central air conditioners. They can cool your home by effectively collecting the heat inside your house and pumping it outside. To learn more about how heat pumps work and whether a heat pump is the right solution for you, see our heat pump product page or call a customer service representative at 1-800-267-8808.

Heat Pump Tips

To prevent unnecessary expenses, do not set back the heat pump's thermostat manually if it causes the electric resistance heating to come on. This type of heating, often used as a backup to the heat pump, is more costly.

Maintain the system according to manufacturer's instructions and clean or change filters each month as needed.