How to Increase Energy Efficiency in Winter | Teems Electric

Even in a normal year, we spend a lot of the winter months indoors, and that’s been turned to the maximum this year with social distancing. While you’re there, why not use some of your time to do a little winter home maintenance that can help improve efficiency?

There are plenty of projects you can take on toward this goal, with the number limited essentially only by your skill level. While we would certainly encourage you to talk to Teems before taking on any electrical projects, here are some things you can do to help cut your utility bills ordered from easiest to most challenging.

Winter Home Maintenance for Efficiency

Easy

  • Reverse your ceiling fans. Ceiling fans are a must-have for summers in the South, but did you know they can also help you keep your home more comfortable in the winter? By switching the direction the blades spin, you push hot air that rises to the ceiling back down into the living space, a move that can help reduce your heating needs and cut your utility bills.

  • Have an HVAC checkup done. We certainly understand if you aren’t comfortable having someone else come into your home right now, and for most systems, there shouldn’t be immediate risk in deferring this. However, when you’re comfortable having a technician in you should; a checkup and maintenance call can help catch issues before they shorten the life of your HVAC system and address inefficiencies that can drive up your utility bills.

Medium Challenge

  • Check your home for air leaks and address them. This one really ranges from easy to a little more involved. Checking for the leaks that can let cold air in during the winter and warm air in during summer can be as easy as looking for gaps and openings and feeling for cold air coming into your home. You can also go more in-depth by using an infrared thermometer to track air leaks down. Once you’ve identified the problem areas, you should address them with work that can range from the simple to the serious.

  • Flush out your water heater. In our part of the country, the water isn’t as mineral-rich as it is in other areas, but there are still particulates that can gather in your water heater’s tank. If those are allowed to build up around the element(s) they can reduce the unit’s efficiency significantly and can even cause the element(s) to burn out. Here’s a guide to flushing a water heater that can help.

Difficult

  • Inspect insulation and address issues. In terms of actual challenge, this one may not be that significant if you have an easily accessible attic, but if your attic isn’t finished for walking around in, this can be a test. What you want to do is give a visual inspection looking for a couple things.

First, you want to ensure there aren’t areas of insulation that are compromised. In the case of spun fiberglass, this could mean sections that have been clawed at by animal invaders or cut by clumsy humans. For fiberglass and blown insulation, you’ll want to watch for areas where the insulation is not as thick or deep as it should be. Addressing these issues can help keep heat from escaping your living space into the attic.

No matter the project you decide to take on at home, if it requires electrical work you can count on the pros at Teems Electric to complete it well and without surprises on the bill. Call us today for a free quote on your work!