(NC) Maintaining a household is a big investment, and your energy bills can be among your greatest monthly expenses. However, there are many things you can do in and around your home that will reduce energy usage and save you money.

Dave Walton, Director of Home Ideas at Direct Energy, says there are five areas homeowners tend to neglect when thinking about energy efficiency:

• Out with the old, in with the new – Replace your old in-efficient furnace, especially if it’s more than 17 years old. A new high efficiency furnace will operate at 96 per cent efficiency.

• Don’t forget the AC unit – Often the central air conditioning unit is the same age as the furnace. Replace it at the same time as the furnace so that both are operating efficiently.

• Upgrade the thermostat too – Making a smart investment in a new high efficiency furnace and AC is further enhanced if you have a programmable thermostat that is designed to operate with your new equipment.

• Have you looked in your attic recently? – Especially with an older home, look into the attic and confirm how much insulation you have. If it is at or below the top of the ceiling joists in the attic, have it topped up with blown-in insulation.

• Fix leaks – Simple repairs like replacing exterior door sweeps, adding new or replacing old and worn weather-stripping to doors and openable windows, can quickly decrease the air leakage in the home and increase the comfort level year round.

For more information, visit Dave’s Corner at  davescorner.ca

Source: www.newscanada.com

Information that is being provide is for Educational Purpose, Any electric work that is needing to be done, should be done by a Licensed Electrician.