Out of Control Heating and Cooling Bills? Things Pennsylvania Homeowners Can Do To Lower Their Costs

Do your heating bills spike during the winter months, and then your cooling costs go extremely high during the summer months? In a time when it seems like everything costs more, it’s more important than ever to control your home’s costs. We have created this guide to help you manage your heating and cooling bills.

HVAC Maintenance and Repairs

Routine HVAC maintenance and repairs are a must for controlling heating and cooling costs. A routine inspection and service appointment can keep your HVAC unit in its best working condition. You can also change out the filter regularly on your own, which helps with efficiently cooling your home and improving the quality of its air.

Strategic Landscaping

Strategic landscaping is one of the most overlooked yet effective methods of controlling your home’s heating and cooling costs. A well-planned landscape design can reduce your home’s energy costs. According to the Department of Energy, strategic landscaping can reduce your utility costs by as much as 25%. 

One of the best landscaping projects to focus on for controlling heating and cooling costs is to install ample shade. Use large, mature trees and shrubs to prevent sunlight from entering the home’s windows and doors. Minimizing the windbreak points in your home can also help prevent cold breezes during the winter months. Shade trees also do an excellent job of controlling your home’s heating and cooling costs. 

The great thing is that many of the landscaping projects are DIY-friendly with a few premium materials. Pennsylvania homeowners can complete a quick search for landscape supply near me to source premium gardening soil, topsoil, compost, and mulch for planting utility cost-friendly designs.

Close Off Unused Rooms In the House

There’s no point in heating or cooling unused rooms. Shut the door and close the vents if no one enters the room. Closing the door also makes it easier for everyone to remember to turn off the lights, which can help control your electricity costs. Make sure all the windows and shades in the room are also closed. You can always reopen the rooms and give them time to cool or heat if you expect guests.

Invest in a Programmable Thermostat

Investing in your home is important for many reasons, including maximizing the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems. An excellent investment to consider is a programmable thermostat.

A programmable thermostat allows you to automatically adjust your home’s temperature when it makes the most sense to do so. For example, you can program your thermostat to automatically decrease at bedtime or when everyone is away from home. You can also program your thermostat to turn on early in the morning so that everyone can wake up in a comfortable home. Turning your air conditioning on early on hot summer days also prevents it from having to catch up later in the day as it gets too hot.

Use Your Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans may not cool the home, but they do help circulate air. You can use ceiling fans in hard-to-warm or cool rooms. During the summer months, aim for your fans to go counterclockwise to push the cooler air down. Rotate them clockwise during the winter months to lower rising warm air.

Locate and Seal Leaks

Don’t let cool or warm air leak out of your home. Go through your home each season and check for any noticeable leaks. Seal these leaks with caulk. You can also place wind stoppers underneath the doors and next to the windows. Weatherstripping also does a great job of sealing leaks. 

Common places where you may notice air leaks are in your attic, basement, or crawl spaces. Sealing these cracks can make a big difference in your utility costs. Additionally, by sealing these cracks, you can stop pests from coming indoors, which can cause expensive damage to your home.

Use Blinds and Curtains To Block Out Sun

Sun-blocking window blinds and curtains can also be effective in keeping hot air out during the summer and cold air during the winter. Make sure you close all blinds and curtains during the day when the sun is hot. Replace any window treatments that have holes or no longer close sufficiently. Of course, opening window treatments during the winter on sunny days can help provide the home with natural heat.

Increasing heating and cooling costs can cut into your home budget. There are a few things that you can do to help control costs, including sealing any cracks and installing tall shade trees. With just a few DIY projects, you’ll have a more comfortable home while also paying less for utilities.