Contents
- 1 7 Ways To Reduce Energy Consumption At Home
- 2 How To Reduce Your Home Heating Oil Costs
- 3 Additional Strategies For Efficient Home Heating
- 3.1 Upgrade To A New Heating System If It Is Old
- 3.2 Schedule Annual Heating System Tune-ups
- 3.3 Be Sure To Add Insulation To Increase The R-Value Of The Home
- 3.4 Seal Air Drafts
- 3.5 Install Programmable Thermostats & Implement Thermostat Set-Backs
- 3.6 Dress For The Weather: Wear Warmer Clothing Instead Of Cranking Up The Heat
- 3.7 Conclusion
- 4 Call Tevis Energy For All Of Your HVAC Requirements
All homeowners have dealt with the common circumstances of fluctuating energy prices. During the winter, energy costs rise, leaving homeowners feeling concerned about how high they will go. When winter is in full swing in the United States, home energy costs are at their peak. Heating and cooling account for over half the annual energy consumption of a home. Therefore, it makes sense to address these areas as a means to minimize energy expenses. The key is to find strategies that will reduce energy consumption without the need to sacrifice comfort. Fortunately, residents that heat their homes with heating oil in central Maryland and southern Pennsylvania can rely on Tevis Energy to provide them with viable options to reduce their home heating costs. Keep reading to explore ways to reduce energy consumption at home.
7 Ways To Reduce Energy Consumption At Home
In this article, we discuss how to reduce your heating oil costs. Likewise, we offer additional approaches to make your home more energy-efficient.
How To Reduce Your Home Heating Oil Costs
Many home heating systems are powered by fuel oil. Therefore, finding ways to reduce oil costs is an excellent way to save money. Tevis Energy understands that fiscally-minded oil-heat consumers want an affordable way to heat their homes. This is why we have created two delivery options that are sure to meet everyone’s needs. We’ll discuss these plans below.
Capped Price Heating Oil Delivery
Tevis Energy offers a Capped Price Oil Delivery Plan. This plan is available for clients who sign up for automatic fuel delivery. Essentially, this plan implies that you will never pay more per gallon than the capped heating oil price you sign up for. Should prices fall below the agreed-upon price, then you pay less per gallon. It is a win-win for the oil consumer. It is also a much better option than a locked-in oil pricing plan that many oil suppliers offer.
With lock-in heating oil prices, you pay the agreed price even if market oil prices fall, which they have been known to do. Unfortunately, you will be stuck with a high locked price for the rest of the season. Therefore, Tevis Energy’s capped-price plan offers a great way to budget for oil costs and pay less when oil prices fall.
Budget Oil Price Plan
We also offer our customers an Oil Budget Plan as an option to save on home heating oil costs. This plan allows the consumer to divide their oil costs into equal monthly payments. This way, they don’t have to pay exorbitant heating oil bills during the winter and, instead, they can spread their payments throughout the year. You won’t have to pay unpredictable or high delivery bills!
Should you sign up for automatic oil delivery, you will qualify for our Price Protection option, which is an excellent way to save money on oil deliveries. You can also use your monthly account statements, Anytime Account Access to help you stay on top of your account balance. The budget oil plan runs from May until April of the following year.
Additional Strategies For Efficient Home Heating
Below, we share some simple methods for improving the efficiency of your home.
Upgrade To A New Heating System If It Is Old
Dated and aged heating systems are less energy-efficient. They use more fuel to produce the same amount of heat. Also, they tend to break down more often than newer systems. Generally, if your system is more than 10-15 years old, it is time to upgrade to a new model.
Newer heating systems can attain energy efficiency levels as high as 98%, allowing you to make drastic savings in heating bills. Upgrading to a new system is also more cost-effective than simply repairing an old heating system. Furthermore, the HVAC industry offers new technology and features that reduce energy costs and improve comfort. With reduced energy costs, the system pays for itself in a short time!
Schedule Annual Heating System Tune-ups
Schedule a routine annual furnace or boiler tune-up once a year before the cold season starts. This way, you can ensure that your system is working efficiently to meet the heating demands of the incoming season.
Routine HVAC maintenance is the perfect time to replace old or broken parts. It gives you the opportunity to repair any problems promptly before they have the chance to escalate into bigger and costlier ones. During a maintenance check, the HVAC technician will swap out old filters, clean and lubricate the unit, and use their professional eye to inspect the system.
Routine maintenance also prevents your furnace or boiler from overworking, which can shorten its working lifespan. After, who wants to replace their unit before reaching its expected lifespan? This service appointment is a very small investment with a large return.
Be Sure To Add Insulation To Increase The R-Value Of The Home
Insulation is an essential element in any plan to save energy at home. The right insulation determines your home’s R-value or resistance to heat flow. Ensure that your attic and roof are properly insulated especially for winter.
If you don’t have the right attic insulation, you can easily lose hot air through the roof. This can cause your heating system to work extra hard to keep your home warm.
The good news is that insulation is very affordable especially if you opt for mineral wool, natural fiber insulation like loose cellulose, or spray foam insulation. All these are cost-effective options for insulation and can effectively increase the R-value of your home.
Doubling the thickness of your insulation, regardless of material, also effectively double’s its R-value. Also check for any gaps around switches, wiring, and beams that are compromising your home’s thermal envelope. Make sure that these areas are properly sealed and insulated.
Seal Air Drafts
Draft-proofing your doors, walls, and windows is perhaps one of the most sensible ways to winterize your home without spending a fortune. Sealing cracks and holes to prevent drafts is a relatively simple improvement that the average homeowner can do himself. By doing so, your home will retain heat and prevent cold air from coming in. This also reduces the load on your heating system in winter.
Seal leaks with caulking and weatherstrip movable parts to plug gaps and cracks. Weatherstripping prevents warm air from escaping your home. It also effectively improves energy efficiency significantly. You also need to replace old or broken windows and doors, preferably with replacements that come with Energy Star certifications and NFRC seals.
Install Programmable Thermostats & Implement Thermostat Set-Backs
Setting your thermostat at a constant temperature the entire day is an unnecessary and wasteful practice that could be contributing to your high power bills. This also causes your heating system to work harder than it needs to. You can drastically slash your heating bill if you turn down the thermostat, especially when no one is home.
Install programmable thermostats so you can program your thermostat at a lower temperature when you’re away. Program the thermostat to increase the temperature an hour or 30 minutes before you come home. Be sure to do the same when you go to bed at night. Your bedding will keep you cozy and warm, enabling you to use your heating system less and reduce energy consumption.
Dress For The Weather: Wear Warmer Clothing Instead Of Cranking Up The Heat
Dressing up for cold weather at home is another free and practical way to reduce energy costs. If temperatures are not uncomfortably low indoors, adding a few layers of clothing can make you comfortable enough that you don’t need to turn up the heat. People often automatically layer their clothes before heading outside in the cold. Apply this principle indoors, and you reduce your need for heating and save on heating costs in no time.
Conclusion
With the unpredictability of energy costs, homeowners should implement the above strategies to make their utility bills more manageable. Oil-heat users can opt for one of Tevis Energy’s financing plans to properly budget their fuel costs. Likewise, homeowners should proactively make their home more energy-efficient, wh9ch, inevitably,m reduces home energy costs.
Tevis Energy’s sister company, Modern Comfort, performs HVAC installations, replacements, tune-ups, and more. Our technicians can provide you with expert HVAC services to ensure that your system provides you with the comfort and efficiency you deserve. Call now to schedule an appointment.
Call Tevis Energy For All Of Your HVAC Requirements
Central Maryland and southern Pennsylvania residents can trust Tevis Energy to consistently provide first-rate HVAC services. You can trust our certified and highly experienced technicians to supply affordable and reliable HVAC repair services, maintenance services, and more. Each tech on our team is knowledgeable and can help you reach your home heating and efficiency goals.
Our rates at Tevis Energy are the most competitive in the region. You can schedule an appointment for maintenance services with us to get improved home comfort, lower home energy bills, and greater efficiency. If you’re ready to switch to a high-efficiency heater, get in touch with us and we’ll help you find the best options for your home and budget. We always provide a solid satisfaction guarantee. To set your appointment for service, call Tevis Energy now. We’ll give you an on-site estimate at no charge.
You can click here to contact us now or call us at (410) 876-6800 to find out more!