November 17, 2023
It’s never a bad idea to find ways to save energy and reduce your carbon footprint. However, during the scorching summer months, it can be a bit challenging to do so. After all, it’s hard to maintain a green lifestyle when you have the AC cranked up all day and are just focused on staying cool. But now that Summer has ended and Fall is here, the Downriver weather will be much milder, and it should be quite a bit easier to reduce your energy usage and keep your home eco-friendly. Here, we’ll take a look at a few great ways that you can go green over the next few months.
Because the Fall doesn’t feature the sweltering heat of summer or the freezing cold of Winter, it offers a great opportunity to use your thermostat to save energy. Over the next few months, the temperatures around Southgate may start to get a bit chilly, but they should be relatively moderate. So, you should be able to keep your home pretty comfortable without needing to have the thermostat turned up too high. For example, you could keep the temperature set at around 68 to 70 degrees during the day and a few degrees lower at night. And if you start to get a bit cold, consider throwing on an extra layer of clothing. This is an effective method to conserve energy without sacrificing your comfort or putting in much effort. Plus, if you get the temptation to crank up the heat, you can simply remind yourself of the money you’re saving every hour that you resist!
As we get later into the Fall and the Winter gets closer, it may start to get pretty chilly. But if you decide to turn the thermostat back up, you’ll start using up significantly more energy. If you’re strategic about how you use your home’s curtains, though, you can stay warm while also being green. For example, on days when the sun is shining, consider opening all of your curtains and blinds that face toward it. That will allow the heat from the sunlight to naturally warm up your home. Then, at night, make a point to close all of your curtains. Curtains can actually be very effective at keeping heat trapped inside, so you should be able to stay warm and cozy without needing to run your heating system for nearly as long as you otherwise would.
If you use your curtains wisely, you can save significant amounts of energy throughout the Fall and even the freezing-cold Winter.
Many homeowners don’t realize that even when they’re not using their electronics, they’re still constantly using energy. Whether it’s your television, your phone charger, your lamps, or any other household gadgets, they’re draining electricity simply by being plugged in. So, one easy way to save energy and make your home more eco-friendly this Fall is to start unplugging those electronics. It may be tough to remember at first, but once you develop the habit, you’ll soon be unplugging things around the house without even having to think about it.
A big part of keeping your home green this Fall is eliminating sources of wasted energy. And if you’ve got multiple air leaks around your household, then your HVAC system is probably using up far more energy than it needs to. Whenever you run your furnace over the next few months, warm air will seep out of the house through those leaks. That will lead to your heating system needing to run for significantly longer to effectively warm your home.
Now that autumn is here, it’s a great time to search your home for any leaks and get them thoroughly sealed. Usually, these openings will appear around the edges of windows and doorways. You may not be able to find them visually, but you can also use your hand to feel around for any moving air. Then, if you’re comfortable sealing them yourself, you can do so using caulk and weather stripping.
Even if you minimize your furnace usage this Fall, you’ll likely still need to turn the heat on now and then as the Winter weather gets closer. So, if you want to conserve energy, you’ll want to make sure that your household heating system is running as efficiently as possible. One surefire way to achieve this is by scheduling a professional tune-up. During heating maintenance, your HVAC technician will clean your furnace, make tweaks to improve its performance, and check its various components to ensure that they’re in good condition. If they find anything that’s hampering the appliance’s efficiency, they’ll apply whatever fix is necessary. As a result of this service, you’ll conserve energy throughout the Fall and Winter while enjoying more consistent comfort.
Many homeowners tend to have their water heaters set to temperatures that are higher than what’s really necessary. Although they may not realize it’s happening, this can lead to quite a bit of wasted energy. If you’re looking to keep your home green this Fall, you could check what temperature your water heater is currently set to. Technically, it doesn’t need to be set at any higher than 140 degrees to effectively kill all harmful bacteria. If yours is set higher than that, you could safely lower it to conserve some energy. It shouldn’t affect your ability to comfortably bathe or complete household chores, but it can save you some money on your monthly bills and help make your household more eco-friendly.
If you need heating system maintenance this Fall, you can always give Flo-Aire a call. Our HVAC technicians are highly skilled and experienced, and they’ll go the extra mile to help you stay comfortable and save money all year long. Contact us today at (734) 285-1809 if you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment!
Locally owned and operated in Southgate, MI since 1955, Flo-Aire Heating, Cooling & Electrical is one of the top heating & cooling companies in Southeast Michigan. Flo-Aire provides residential, commercial and industrial HVAC services throughout all of Metro Detroit.
