Did you know?

There are many ways to save money on your heating and air conditioning bills each month and CHELCO offers some great tips to help save you money. For more information, go to CHELCO.com.

Tips to save energy:

• Replace your old electric resistance heat system with a heat pump to cut your annual electric bill by as much as 50%.

• Replace your central air conditioning unit with high efficiency equipment to save between 14% and 40% on your annual bill.

• Add a waste heat recovery water heating system to save as much as 35% to 55% on water heating costs with central air conditioning systems and as much as 50% to 70% with a system using a central heat pump.

• Get a yearly checkup for your home heating system. Duct leaks, incorrect settings, and inefficient systems can easily increase your bill by 15%.

• Get a yearly checkup for your cooling system too because a properly maintained system can save between 1% and 13%.

• Set your thermostat at 68 degrees in winter – no higher than 70 degrees and save approximately 6.2 percent on your heating bill.

• Experiment with raising your usual thermostat setting in summer because every degree raised will save you between 5% to 10% of your bill.

• Reduce your hot water heater temperature by 20 degrees and save between 5% and 10% on your annual water heating bill.

• Add water flow restrictors to shower heads and faucets and reduce annual water heating costs from 5% to 10%.

• If you’re going to be gone two or more days, turn off your hot water heating system and set the thermostat settings higher if its summer and lower if its winter and save 10% to 20% off your annual bill.

• Plug leaks in attics, basements, fireplaces and even around electrical outlets to save 1% to 2%.

• Dry clothes on a clothesline if you want to save between 2% and 4% on your yearly bill.

• On sunny winter days, open your drapes and shades to take advantage of the free heat from the sun

• Caulk windows, doors, baseboards, exhaust fans, dryer vents, and other places where pipes and wires enter the house to save 1% to 4%.

• Weatherstrip windows and doors and save 1% to 8%.

• Remember, showers use less hot water than a bath – 10 gallons for a 5-minute shower, 25 gallons for a hot bath.