Some Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your Heating and Cooling Bills

Home owners who are tired of high energy bills may be glad to hear that there are ways to reduce their energy consumption without going back to candlelight. There are many ways to make your home more energy efficient, such as adding insulation and thermal drapes, planting shade trees and windbreaks, replacing your old appliances and air conditioners with newer and more energy efficient ones, and changing old windows. The benefits of vinyl window frames include lower heating and cooling costs as well as an increase in the market value of your home. An energy-efficient home is also a greener home, in keeping with the changing values of consumers.

High energy costs: who’s the culprit?
It’s only recently that homes are being designed and built to be energy efficient. Older homes built before the mid-1990s paid no attention to insulation or energy efficiency. For example, they used single pane windows, which did nothing to keep heated or cooled air in, and which let in outside noise. In fact, about 50% of heated or cooled air loss in homes occurs through single pane windows, French doors, and patio doors.
Attics and basements were rarely finished or insulated, and provided another route for cooled and heated air to escape, increasing energy consumption and electric bills. Older appliances too, from washing machines and water heaters to air conditioners, were less energy efficient. Now that people are much more environmentally conscious and aware of the problems associated with greenhouse gas emissions, they’re looking for ways to reduce their energy consumption, not to mention their electric bills.

How to reduce your energy consumption
Fortunately for homeowners, there are many steps they can take to reduce their energy consumption and make their homes greener and more eco-friendly. From adding insulation to planting shade trees, they all help to create homes that are more energy efficient and more comfortable.

• Planting shade trees and windbreaks
  Homeowners can use landscaping to create a microclimate around their home. Planting shade trees can keep your home and its surroundings cooler in the summer, reducing the need for air conditioning by 50%, according to the American Power Association. And strategically planted windbreaks can block out fierce winter winter winds as well as noise.

• Insulate attics and basements
  Adding insulation to attics and basements blocks drafts in the winter, and prevents heated and cooled air from escaping. Using window drapes and especially thermal curtains can add another layer of insulation.

• Replacing older appliances
  Replacing older appliances like washing machines, water heaters, and air conditioners with newer energy efficient models can drastically reduce their energy consumption.

• Replacing older windows
  Replacing older single pane windows with new Energy Star model windows can drastically reduce your energy costs. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it can save homeowners up to $501 each year in heating and cooling costs.

Benefits of vinyl window frames
Replacing older single pane windows with vinyl windows can make your home more energy efficient, reducing energy consumption quite drastically. By keeping the indoor temperature even, they also make your home more comfortable in summer and winter alike. Another of the benefits of vinyl window frames is that residential window replacement adds value to your your home. It’s one of the most successful home improvement projects, with a return on investment or ROI of 73% to 77%.
This means that if you put your home on the market after residential window replacement, you can get a higher price for it. Replacement windows and doors also add to the curb appeal of your home.

Homeowners who are trying to reduce their energy usage can take a number of steps to make their homes more energy efficient. These include insulation, landscaping, and replacing older appliances and doors and windows. The benefits of vinyl window frames include a more comfortable indoor environment as well as a higher market value for your home.