Youíre busy. And when you’re busy, you have a tendency to let little things slide. Unfortunately, one of the first things you let slide is those awful, tedious, boring home maintenance projects. It can wait, right? Wait another week; another month; another year.

By putting off those minor maintenance issues, your mechanical systems are not running at the peak of efficiency. Some maintenance is so simple, it seems it wouldn’t make a difference. But, it does. Let’s look at the most obvious maintenance items that often are overlooked:

Heating

Start with the simplest thing you can do to maintain your furnace; change the filter. Even if you have an older furnace, you can keep it running at its best by changing the filters often. Dust and debris get caught in the filters which cause the entire system to work harder, become inefficient, costing more money to run. Mark your calendar and change your filters at least once a month to prevent problems from sneaking up on you.
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Did you know that if every American home replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulb, we would save enough energy to light three million homes for a year?

Alright, that’s the big picture, but what about saving on your own utility bill? First, consider that lighting accounts for close to 20% of the average homeís electric bill. Then, take into account that the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) uses 75% less energy than a traditional incandescent bulb. You can see how the savings will start to add up. Let’s take a look at one of the easiest places to start saving energy; the lighting:

Time to See the Light

We all have experiences with those awful huge warehouse style fluorescent lights, which is why most of us cringe when we hear the term CFL, or compact fluorescent lamp. The little squiggly screw in bulbs weren’t much better, at least until now.
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When thinking of ways to cut utility bills, we typically look for ways to use less and cut back on the little extras. Thatís fine and it works, but what about the energy we waste, often unnoticed?

Literally speaking, we’re talking about the heat and air conditioning that leaks right out of the house. There are a number of areas where heated air or cooled air can easily escape outdoors if you’re not careful. Paying to heat or cool the air, then letting it leave the house is a huge waste of money. The best and most cost efficient way to stop the leaks is to first find the source. So, where are the leaks and what do we do about them once they’re found? Let’s take a look at the first step:

Ask the Experts

Begin by calling in the professionals. This ensures that you get the job done right. Have a professional energy assessment performed on your home. Check with your local power company first as they may offer this inspection free of charge. This assessment will provide you with information on the biggest offenders in your home’s energy system. They will then suggest ways to remedy each situation.
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