Here are 13 Tips that will reduce the energy and maintenance costs of your home over the long haul.

Here are 13 Tips that will reduce the energy and maintenance costs of your home over the long haul.

1. Check the insulation in your attic. If you purchased an older home with an unfinished attic take a look around up there. You should see at least six inches of insulation everywhere and more if you live in the northern parts of the US. If there's inadequate insulation or the insulation you have appears damaged then install new insulation.
2. Air-seal your home. Look for any places where air may be leaking directly into or out of your home.
3. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater to 120 degrees.  This is the optimum temperature for your hot water heater. Most people do not utilize water that's hotter than that, and thus energy used to keep the water that hot isn't effective.
4. Toss a water heater blanket over that hot water heater. While most modern hot water heaters are well-insulated, some are insulated better than others and many older heaters aren't insulated well at all. An investment in a blanket for your water heater will slowly and gradually save you money on your heating bill over time by keeping the heat in the water instead of letting it out.
5. Wrap exposed water pipes with insulation. Exposed hot water pipes lose heat as they move water from your heater to your faucet. Insulating them makes a two to four degree difference in the temperature of the water and also allows hot water to reach your faucet faster. Check the pipes into and out of your hot water heater first, as the first three feet out of the heater (and the last few feet of inlet water) are key. Use good quality pipe insulation for the job.
6. Install ceiling fans in most rooms. Ceiling fans are a low-energy way to keep air moving in your home. Because of the air circulation effect, you can get away with keeping your thermostat a degree or two higher in summer and a degree or two lower in winter, netting a rather large savings. Make sure you shutoff those fans when you're not in the room.
7. Install a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat allows you to schedule automatic increases and decreases in your home's temperature. This lets your house naturally warm or cool in the winter while you're at work or asleep, saving quite a bit of energy use. Such devices save money on cooling in the summer and heating in the winter.
8. Hang a clothes rack in your laundry room or an outdoor clothesline. A clothes dryer uses a lot of energy, but it's convenient for many people. Battle that convenience while saving money by hanging a clothes rack from the wall in the laundry room and use it for some items. If you can hang up half of the clothes in a load on a rack or line, you can get away with running the dryer half as much as before.  If you do use the dryer try to schedule your loads all in a row, this allows you to make use of the heat already in the dryer.
9. Check toilets, faucets and under-sink plumbing for leaksor drips. Survey of the plumbing in your home before you settle in. If you find a toilet is running constantly, it's going to cost you.  You should also peek under the sinks in your home to ensure there aren't any leaks. Got a leaky faucet? Repair or replace it. 
10. Replace your air handling filter. An outdated filter not only doesn't filter as well, it also has a negative impact on air flow, meaning your air handling system has to work harder to pump out lower quality air.
11. Make sure the vents in all rooms are clear of dust and obstructions. None of the vents in your home should be covered or blocked by anything doing that makes your heating and cooling work overtime. This improves air flow into the room, reducing the amount of blowing that needs to happen.
12. Install CFL and LED light bulbs. CFL and LED bulbs can save you a lot of money on energy use over the long haul, plus they have much longer lives than normal incandescent bulbs.
13. Choose energy efficient appliances, even if you have to pay more up front. Focus on energy efficiency even if that increases the cost you have to pay up front. A refrigerator that uses little energy and lasts twenty years is far, far cheaper over the long run than a fridge that runs for seven years and guzzles electricity.

When in doubt, also contact a professional.

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