3 Ways You Can Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Many people are concerned about their impact on the environment. To lessen our carbon footprints we make little changes like recycling, walking instead of driving and keeping an eye on how long we run the sprinkler. These little things all add up, but are there other ways we can be more environmentally conscious? To help you reduce your carbon footprint and your bills, here are 3 things you can do to make your home more energy efficient.

1. Maintain your furnace
   • Consider switching to a high efficiency furnace which will burn less gas, burn hotter and produce less carbon emissions.
   • Change your air filters regularly, reducing the amount of work your furnace has to do in order to properly filter your air.
   • Seal your ducts. Sealing the ducts in your furnace helps the warm air reach its destination and means your furnace doesn’t have to work as hard to keep your home warm.
   • Add a programmable thermostat so that you can lower the temperature in your home when you are away and save energy.
   • Close the vents in rarely used rooms such as guest bedrooms so that you only heat the areas of the house you use regularly.
2. Adjust your water heater
   • Keep your water heater in the “warm” range (between 50 and 60 degrees Celsius). Heating your water hotter than that is unnecessary, which is why many newer hot water heaters automatically adjust to keep water from heating to over 60 degrees Celsius.
   • Insulate your water heater. This will reduce the amount of energy the heater has to expend in order to keep water warm.
   • Consider installing a tankless water heater. These heaters only heat water as it is needed instead of expending energy to keep the water in the heater constantly hot.
3. Check your taps and toilet
   • Consider installing low flow aerators. This will allow you to reduce the amount of water you use and lower your water bill.
   • Leaky toilets are also huge water wasters. To check if your toilet is leaking place some food colouring or dye tablets in the toilet tank. Wait about 15 minutes without flushing and then check the bowl. If the water in the bowl has dye in it then your toilet tank is leaking.
   • A leaky tap can waste hundreds of dollars worth of water each year. Make sure you address any leaks as the occur.

These small changes add up over time and can help you reduce your carbon footprint and save money. For more information about ways you can make your house more energy efficient call Lone Star Plumbing and Heating at 403.295.3028 and visit lonestarplumbing.ca today.