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With energy bills higher and higher every month, it is hard not to wonder about ways to limit the energy losses in your house. While we often treat heating and cooling bills angry gods' wrath, that's not true. We can and should reduce the amount of energy we use. Here's how to do it. First of all, make sure that your house is well insulated. Light a stick of incense and move it near all the windows and closed doors to find places where cold air gets in, then insulate them using weather strips to eliminate the drafts. Remember to visit your attic, too! The whole procedure takes only a few hours and can limit the energy losses even by 10-15%. Also, keep in mind to change your thermostat settings. If you set the temperature three or four degrees higher or lower, you won't probably notice the difference - but it will reduce the costs noticeably. The energy use can be also limited by keeping your heating and cooling systems in good condition. If you fail to install new filters every few months and schedule your furnace maintenance every ten years instead of ever second year, you can expect that those systems' efficiency will be cut by half. Also, remember about checking the cooling system for coolant leaks regularly. If any of the systems you have is older than sixteen-twenty years, it is recommended to replace it - old technologies are usually much less efficient than modern solutions. Buy a quality, Energy Star-rated thermostat. Get rid of the old analog stuff you use as a thermostat - their effectiveness is greatly reduced with age. Once installed, make sure that thermostat's sensors are far away from any sources of extreme heat (like the stove) and cold (like front doors) unless you want your heating system to lose energy and heat your house basing on such mixed readings. Two last tips. First, if you want to have fireplace, remember that it should be used only for really special occasions. For one, an open chimney may cost a house more heat than the fire may provide. A fireplace insert is probably much better solution. Second, you may want to install a heat pump. It works extremely well in spring and fall when the temperatures are not extreme enough to start heating or cooling the house without terrible energy losses.
Article Source: http://www.realestateinvestmentarticles.net
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