How to Save Energy During Philadelphia Winters

There’s a pretty good chance that you’ll be cranking up your home’s heat once winter hits the Philadelphia, PA area. Philly winters aren’t known to be mild, after all.

As you begin putting your heating system to more use, you’re going to find that your energy costs are going up. Depending on how energy efficient your home is, you could see your energy bills skyrocket. The following are a few tips and tricks to help homeowners in the Greater Philadelphia area save energy around the house this winter as well as reasons why you should do so:

Ways to Save Energy: Philadelphia Style

The following are a few tips that can help you to save a substantial amount of energy around the house:

1. Schedule a Heating Inspection

You should schedule a heating system inspection once a year to ensure that it’s working properly and efficiently. Schedule the inspection right before winter hits so that you have time to repair any potential problems before they get any worse with use.

2. Install a Programmable Thermostat

Sometimes you have to spend money to save money. Upgrading your old thermostat to one that is programmable will allow you to set it to automatically change to a more energy-saving setting during times that you are out of the home or asleep. There’s no point in heating the house if you’re not at home, after all.

3. Insulate Your Attic

Older homes in the Greater Philadelphia area may not have insulated attics, meaning you could be spending hundreds of dollars each winter on wasted heat, and money! If your attic is already insulated, have it inspected to see if it needs to be replaced or upgraded. Attic insulation is vital to keeping energy use down. This is because the heat your heating system produces will rise (as all hot air does). If your attic isn’t insulated, the heat will escape into the attic and out of your home. This means that your heating system will have to use more energy than it should in order to replace lost heat – and result in expensive heating bills.

Reasons to Reduce Energy Use

Saving on your energy bills isn’t the only reason why you should try to save energy this winter. The following are a few other reasons:

– Reduce repairs and replacement – The less efficient your HVAC system works (whether it’s due to minor system problems or due to the need to overwork because of lost energy), the greater the odds are that you’ll have to spend money on repairs or replacement.

– Reduce your environmental footprint – Saving energy is just a responsible thing to do. The less of a negative impact your home makes on the environment, the better.

– Add value to the home – A more energy efficient home, whether due to added insulation, upgraded HVAC system or more, will help improve the value of your house.

– Maintain comfort – The less energy that is being lost, the more comfortable your home will be – something that’s especially important during the winter season.

70+ Years of Heating Experience

Use these tips in order to save energy around your Philadelphia area home this winter. For additional advice concerning home energy use or your home’s HVAC system, be sure to contact us at W.F. Smith today.

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