Energy Tips
Setting Your Thermostat
You can save money on your heating and cooling bills by simply resetting your thermostat when you are asleep or away from home. You can do this automatically without sacrificing comfort by installing an automatic setback or programmable thermostat.
You can save money on your heating and cooling bills by simply resetting your thermostat when you are asleep or away from home. You can do this automatically without sacrificing comfort by installing an automatic setback or programmable thermostat.
In Winter, you can easily save energy by setting the thermostat to 68°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home.
In Summer, you can follow the same strategy with central air conditioning by keeping your house warmer than normal when you are away and setting the thermostat to 78°F (26°C) only when you are at home and need cooling.
For more information and a short video, click here
Ceiling Fans Summer vs Winter
Which way is a ceiling fan supposed to turn?
No matter what time of year it is, ceiling fans are meant to provide you with comfort and it’s important that it’s set up correctly for different times of the year.
You can pretty much expect to find ceiling fans in many homes, especially in nearly all new homes today. Not only do they add a nice look to your home but their purpose is to circulate the air in a home and are key in cooling the air during those hot months of summer. What a lot of people often do not realize is that ceiling fans are not just for circulating cool air, they also can be used during cooler months to circulate warm air all through a person’s home.
Ceiling fans can change the temperature of a room by at least two degrees. In turn, using these fans in your rooms can actually help out the heater or air conditioner in the home by keeping them from turning on as often when using a fan in conjunction with your heater or air conditioner. Even though two degrees may not sound like much, but it is just enough to actually lower your utility cost each year.
Ceiling Fans Summer vs Winter
For it to be worth using ceiling fans during different times of the year you need to know how to set your ceiling fan to get the most out of it. Below are simple instructions on just how you can make sure your fan is set up properly for the right season:
• Make sure the fan is shut off and the blades have completely stopped turning.
• Find the small switch on the fan that controls the direction of the fan. The best way to find the switch is to stand right under the ceiling fan and look up at the center of the fan.
• Turn the ceiling fan on low and notice in what direction the blades are going. Now flip the switch so that it goes counterclockwise during the summer months. This will create a breeze and constant airflow for circulation during the summer.
• For the winter you will need to turn the switch clockwise and this will then take the warm air from the ceiling and help spread it through the entire room.
It is just that simple. By doing this you will be getting all the benefits a ceiling fan can give you in both the summer and winter months.