Time to Dust Off a Few Energy Saving Ideas

Have you ever considered how much the dust that's gathering in your home is costing you in energy bills?

When dust builds up on the registers and vent covers in your home, for example, it becomes "insulation" that blocks the air's path into the room. The harder a system has to work to keep your home comfortable, the more you pay in utility costs.

So as you look ahead, a thorough dusting with special attention to registers and vent covers is a good idea. Other ideas?

• Close drapes to keep out the hot daytime sun, especially on south- and west-facing windows. Sunny windows make air conditioners work 2 to 3 times harder.
• Close fireplace dampers or glass doors. Going up the chimney with a bound may serve as a dramatic exit for Santa, but don't allow your cooled air to use that same escape hatch.
• Position your refrigerator away from sunny windows, hot water heaters, warm air from heating ducts, radiators, stoves and other heat sources. The heat makes cooling harder for your refrigerator.

These are just a few natural, free ways to help reduce your energy costs and increase your comfort. Other small steps can also make a big difference. For example:

It's no news that energy costs are a big expense for homeowners. And not surprisingly, heating and cooling account for more than half of this amount. If you'd like to learn more about conserving energy in your home, this info will get you started – Is Your Home at the Center of an Energy-Loss Vortex?

Who Else Wants to Save Money?

We've been working with several customers this week on a pretty smart deal. Yep, it's so smart, it's like this deal just graduated with highest honors from the School of Cool.

What could it be? Drum roll, please… it's our maintenance agreement program.

This is something we created a few years ago that's worked out great for our customers. That's because it gives you a tuned-up system for the cooling season (and later for the heating season), plus repair discounts, priority service and improved energy efficiency from a system that's properly maintained.

Helping you figure out the smart way to take care of your home comfort and energy usage is just one of the ways we like to look out for the people who are very important to us. So, the next time we're in your home, I hope you'll give us a chance to show you how joining a year-round program that puts your comfort on our priority list would be a big advantage.

In the meantime, to learn more about making routine maintenance a regular part of your household plan, take a look at this info, Here Is a Method that Is Helping Homeowners Save More Energy with Better Comfort.