Going ‘Green’ Saves On Cooling, Heating

Everyone is talking about “going green” these days.
Everyone wants to do their part to save our planet. There are some very easy ways to do this while heating and cooling your home, and you can save money at the same time! Now we all love to save money.
First of all, if you don’t have a programmable thermostat, invest in one today. This is a very inexpensive way to save money on energy. You can program your thermostat based on when you are home,(68F and 70F degrees in winter, 74F degrees in summer), sleeping (65 degrees in winter, 74F degrees in summer) or away (60F degrees in winter, 78F degrees in summer). Use your ceiling fans for cooling, even when the air conditioner is on.
Have a BPI certified HVAC company evaluate your home’s energy efficiency. They will be able to save you money, and get you government rebates for things such as, upgrading your old equipment and appliances, sealing your duct work and insulating your home.
If your heater or air conditioner is over 10 or 15 years old, it may need to be replaced. Signs to look for are: excessive noise, the system runs longer to maintain the thermostat setting, or your electric bills are increasing while your comfort is decreasing. Your heating and air conditioning system is a mechanical piece of equipment like your car, and like your car, it needs to be serviced regularly. Regular maintenance by a certified HVAC company will help your system run more efficiently and last longer. As it gets older, it will cost more to maintain, and it will run less efficiently.
And remember, as of Jan. 1, 2010 the law has changed.
New air conditioners now run on environmentally friendly R410A Freon.
So if you replace your old system, you will help the environment and save money in the long run by running a new, energy efficient system.
(The above was submitted by Mary Del Corio of Grace Energy in Rio Grande.)