Five ways homeowners can shrink their energy bills
Simple and inexpensive actions to your windows can help keep homeowners cool while saving energy.
Did you know that windows can account for 10 percent to 20 percent of heating and cooling costs for the average American home?
For example, sunny windows account for unwanted heat to enter the house, forcing air conditioners to work two to three times harder just to cool hot air.
Although summer only has about two weeks left officially, the heat is lingering. We’ve compiled a list of warm climate window tips to save you money and keep cool at home.
Cooling Tips
- Install window curtains, shades, drapes or blinds to reduce sunlight entering your home.
- Close windows and curtains on south- and west-facing windows during the day to reflect heat away from the house.
- Install awnings on south- and west-facing windows. Also, apply sun-control or other reflective films on south-facing windows to reduce solar heat gain. According to the Department of Energy, window awnings can reduce solar heat gain in the summer by up to 65 percent on south-facing windows and 77 percent on west-facing windows.
- Open windows when the outside temperature is lower than the inside temperature. The cool air helps pull down the overall temperature of the house.
- Buy high-performance windows that have at least two panes of glass and low-e coating. Windows with low-e coatings on the glass reflect some of the sunlight, keeping rooms cooler.
You can also learn how to get innovative financing for energy efficiency improvements to your home through our Be SMART Home Loan program. Be SMART offers flexible financing of up to $25,000 for eligible homeowners.
For more ways to save energy, visit the Department of Energy‘s website. We hope you apply these simple and low-cost energy tips to your home. We’ll regularly share a new topic so don’t forget to subscribe to our blog!