Heating / December 4, 2018

3 Ways to Save Money on Energy During the Holidays

During the holidays, you might be excited to host family and friends in the comfort of your own home. Unfortunately, extra people in your home can also affect your energy bill, especially if your guests keep their homes warmer during the winter than you do. Here are three great ways to save money on energy, so your HVAC costs don’t spiral out of control during their stay.

1. Lock Down Your Thermostat
   You might have a set temperature you keep your home on brisk days, but that doesn’t mean your guests won’t try to boost the heater a few degrees when you aren’t around. Although it may seem harmless to let people adjust the thermostat as they see fit, even a small change to your thermostat can dramatically impact the cost of your next energy bill.For instance, you can lower your thermostat as little as seven degrees for eight hours to reduce your energy expenses by 10%. But if you raise it by that same amount, your bill will move in the other direction, cramping your budget. However, you might be able to prevent those little adjustments if you lock your thermostat.Most programmable thermostats have settings that give homeowners the ability to lock the settings, which keeps kids and well-meaning adults alike from skewing your power bill. If you want to reduce your costs, program your thermostat before guests arrive and lock the panel to keep people from making changes.

   To keep people who might chill easily comfortable, invest in a few extra blankets and keep them in various rooms throughout your house. Try to let guests stay in rooms that stay naturally warmer, such as spaces with western-facing windows.

2. Ask Guests to Leave Interior Doors Open
   Everyone values their privacy, which is why your guests might keep their bedroom doors closed while they stay in your home. Unfortunately, a few closed-off rooms can skew the HVAC balance of your place, raising energy costs.When doors in your home are closed, the air blown into the room from your HVAC system
   increases the pressure in the space, which keeps your air return system from sucking up the cool air that needs to be heated.In fact, research has shown that air from closed off rooms can increase by as much as 900%, dramatically impacting the energy use necessary for heating your home. However, if doors throughout your house remain open, your HVAC system will heat your home evenly and efficiently without driving up your costs.

   To keep your HVAC bill under control, ask guests to leave their doors open as much as possible. While you might not be able to ask guests to leave their doors open overnight, you can prop them open during the day to help your HVAC system run more efficiently.

3. Unplug Unused Appliances
   When people visit from out of town, you might use that waffle maker you have been dying to try out or plug in that slide projector to enjoy some old pictures. However, many appliances consume small amounts of power when they aren’t in use, which is why you should unplug unused appliances instead of letting them sit turned off until the next day.In fact, the Department of Energy estimates that between 5% and 10% of your total residential energy is used by appliances that are plugged in but not currently being used. Televisions, DVD players, coffee makers, toasters, and even lamps can all play into the problem, so pay attention to which appliances you could unplug for the time being.If guests bring electronics like blow dryers, electric blankets, or cell phone chargers with them, ask people to unplug them after use to prevent excess power consumption.

   You can keep your home warm, comfortable, and welcoming to guests is if you maintain your HVAC equipment to ensure adequate heating.

At Mauzy Heating, Air & Solar, we focus on keeping costs low while helping our clients to enjoy safer, more economically friendly homes. From HVAC installation and ongoing maintenance to solar energy solutions, we can help. Give our team a call today to schedule your complimentary consultation.