Heating and cooling costs more than likely eat up a sizable chunk of your monthly budget. But what if you could do some simple things around the home to reduce those expenses? Follow these easy tips and you’ll be surprised how much of a difference you’ll see.

Heating

One of the biggest things you can do to reduce heating and cooling costs is to replace any worn weather stripping around windows and doors. You’ll reduce air draft, and as a result reduce the HVAC Contractor Scarborough of heat loss in your home. When air is allowed to escape, homeowners commonly crank up their furnace to make up the difference and stay comfortable.

You should also adjust the thresholds underneath your doors to make they aren’t letting air out. If yours are not flush to the door, you’ll be wasting energy as well as money. The rule of thumb is that if you can see daylight under your door, an adjustment is necessary. Typically, a threshold will have four or five screws that can be adjusted to eliminate any gaps. Turn them in a counterclockwise direction until most of the daylight is gone. Just don’t raise it too high or you won’t be able to open or close the door correctly. A little bit of daylight in the corners is fine.

Another way to eliminate drafts in your home is to keep air from flowing around your electrical boxes. Take of the cover plates and use acrylic latex caulk to fill any small gaps you see. Use foam sealant for larger gaps. Then consider replacing the cover plate and putting a foam gasket over the switch or outlet.

Cooling

A programmable thermostat can save you a great deal of money on your air conditioning bills. Turn the temperature up during the day while you’re at work so you don’t waste energy, and then set the thermostat to lower the temperature gradually throughout the day so it will be comfortable by the time you get back home. Consider turning it up a couple of degrees at night as well.

You also need to clean or replace your air filter on a regular basis. A dirty filter obstructs airflow, forcing your heating and cooling system to work harder and use more costly energy. Maintaining a clean filter will keep your monthly bill low and will extend your system’s lifespan. Plan on changing the filter once every three months to help ensure your system works in the most efficient manner possible.