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May
20
20
Beat the Heat: Energy Efficiency Strategies for Summer
After looking at plenty of Bergen County homes for sale, you've finally found your perfect house—just in time for a sweltering summer. Especially if it's a bigger space than your previous home, the energy required to keep the house cool (and subsequent money spent on electric bills) can take you by surprise. Fortunately, there are ways to keep your new home cool while maintaining energy efficiency. Here are a few strategies.
- HVAC Tune-Up. Toward the end of spring, just before the hot weather makes running your A/C necessary, call an HVAC technician to perform annual maintenance. They'll check that everything is working properly, replace any bad wiring or parts that are wearing out, tighten the screws, oil moving components, and make sure your system is operating as efficiently as possible. Remembering to schedule HVAC maintenance once a year will help your system last longer, use less energy, and cool more effectively.
- Sealing Leaks. Air leaks can cause significant energy losses, making it take longer to cool your home properly. First, small holes and other damage to your ductwork can cause cold air to leak out before it reaches your home. They can be sealed with metal tape or mastic sealant to maintain proper airflow. Second, air leaks in your home, such as around baseboards or behind light switches and outlets, can cause conditioned air to leak out of your home and be replaced by warm outdoor air. Finding these leaks requires a home energy audit, which sucks all the air out of your house, to see more clearly where it's still coming in. Once you've found these leaks, call a professional to seal them too.
- Ceiling Fans. Fans use much less energy than your HVAC system. If it's not too hot, you can often turn the A/C off entirely and just use a fan or two. But when the temperature spikes, ceiling fans can still help you save energy. By running your ceiling fan with the A/C, the air blowing against your skin makes things feel cooler than they actually are. This means you can turn the thermostat up a few degrees, saving energy without losing comfort.
- Outdoor Cooking. The more you use the oven and stove in your home, the hotter it will get. If you have an outdoor patio with a backyard barbecue, try cooking outside when possible, especially on hot days. There's a reason summer barbecuing is so popular, after all. There are plenty of Rockland County homes for sale outfitted with full outdoor kitchens with everything you need to make a full, gourmet meal outside. Even if all you have is a grill, basic food prep can be done indoors and brought outside to cook and eat, keeping the heat out and your energy bills low.
- Natural Shade. This is more of a long-term strategy, but if you plan on being in your house for a few years, it's a great way to keep things cool while saving energy. Particularly if you have large or glass doors that let in the sunlight, plant deciduous trees near them, such as maple, beech, or elm. In summer, the leaves will provide natural shade, keeping the hot sun out and keeping things cool. As a bonus, in the winter, they lose their leaves, letting the sunlight in to warm things up!
If you're looking for an efficient home that will keep you comfortable without running up expensive energy bills, our real estate agents can help you find it. Contact us to get started on the process of finding your new home.
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