Heating, cooling, and electricity costs can significantly strain your household budget, especially if your home isn’t as energy efficient as it could be. With heating and cooling making up as much as half of your home’s energy usage, taking steps to improve efficiency can lead to substantial savings. At ARC Insulation, we specialize in helping Chicagoland area homeowners like you find and implement energy-saving solutions. Here’s how you can uncover and maximize energy savings in your home.
Why Make Your Home More Energy Efficient?
Investing in energy efficiency isn’t just about reducing costs; it’s about improving your home’s comfort and sustainability. Here are a few key reasons to make your home more energy efficient:
- Save Money: Reducing energy consumption directly translates to lower utility bills.
- Enhance Comfort: A well-insulated and weatherized home maintains a more consistent temperature year-round.
- Reduce Environmental Impacts: Consuming less energy reduces your carbon footprint and supports a healthier planet.
- Take Advantage of Incentives: Federal, state, and utility rebates make energy-efficient upgrades more affordable.
Whether you’re looking to tackle rising energy costs or create a more comfortable living space, focusing on efficiency improvements is a smart move. Here are three areas to start.
1. Optimize Your Thermostat Settings
Your thermostat is one of the simplest yet most effective tools for energy savings. By adjusting your settings strategically, you can see noticeable reductions in your energy bills:
- Lower the Heat: If you can stand wearing a few more sweaters and thick socks, try decreasing the thermostat by a few degrees when no one is home or at night. For every degree you lower your thermostat for at least eight hours a day, you can save about 2% on your heating bill.
- Invest in a Programmable or Smart Thermostat: These devices automatically adjust your heating and cooling systems based on your schedule, reducing energy waste without sacrificing comfort.
For example, lowering the thermostat from 72°F to 67°F overnight can save up to 10% on heating expenses—a small change that adds up over time.
2. Upgrade Your Water Heating System
Water heating is another major contributor to energy costs. Consider the benefits of a demand-type water heater (also known as a tankless water heater):
- On-Demand Heating: Instead of keeping water hot continuously, tankless water heaters heat water only when you need it, reducing standby energy loss.
- Efficiency Improvements: These systems use a gas burner or electric element to heat water as it flows through, offering a more energy-efficient solution.
Upgrading your water heater can lead to long-term savings while ensuring you have hot water when you need it.
3. Insulate and Weatherize Your Home
Insulation and weatherization are among the most cost-effective ways to improve energy efficiency and comfort. By addressing areas of air leakage and insufficient insulation, you can make a big impact on your home’s performance:
- Air Sealing: Seal areas prone to leaks, such as mail slots, and around pipes and wires, attic hatches, door jambs, and baseboards. Proper air sealing prevents conditioned air from escaping and outdoor air from seeping in.
- Insulation Upgrades: Focus on key areas like the attic, walls, and your basement or crawl space. High-performance insulation materials such as blown-in, cellulose, and spray foam insulation can dramatically improve energy retention.
- Duct Sealing: Improve the consistency of the indoor temperature and ensure air reaches your living spaces efficiently by preventing air leaks—possibly lowering utility bills and extending system lifespan.
If you’re unsure where your home needs attention, an energy assessment is a great starting point.
The Benefits of a Professional Energy Assessment
At ARC Insulation, we offer comprehensive energy evaluations to identify inefficiencies and recommend tailored solutions. Using advanced tools like infrared cameras, we:
- Detect areas of temperature exchange
- Evaluate the effectiveness of your current heating and cooling systems
- Assess your home’s humidity levels to ensure a healthy indoor environment
Our assessments provide a clear roadmap to address problem areas, helping you prioritize upgrades for maximum energy savings.
Solutions to Suit Your Needs
With nearly 30 years of experience, ARC Insulation offers a range of services to improve your home’s energy efficiency:
- Insulation Installation: We use high-quality materials like blown-in, cellulose, and spray foam insulation to suit your home’s specific needs.
- Weatherization: Our experts seal air leaks and make your home more resistant to outside temperature fluctuations.
- Mold Services: Addressing mold issues not only improves energy efficiency but also creates a healthier living environment.
- Duct Sealing: Leaky ducts can lead to numerous issues, but professional duct sealing can leave you with a more comfortable, healthy, and efficient living environment.
- Aeroseal for Retrofit Duct Sealing: Aeroseal is a patented and effective method of duct sealing that distributes sealant through your entire system at once.
We work with homeowners to create solutions that fit their budgets, ensuring meaningful improvements without overextending financial resources.
Take Advantage of Incentives and Rebates
Maximize your savings by taking advantage of available incentives:
- The 25C Tax Credit: Reduce your federal income tax liability by 30% of qualifying energy-efficiency upgrade costs, including insulation and air sealing, up to $1,200 annually.
- Local Utility Rebates: Programs like the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program and Peoples Gas Home Energy Rebate Program offer additional savings on insulation and weatherization projects.
Our team stays up-to-date on the latest rebate programs and ensures you qualify for every incentive available.
Start Saving Today
Every day you delay energy upgrades, you’re missing out on savings and enduring higher energy bills. At ARC Insulation, we’re committed to helping you create a more energy-efficient, comfortable, and healthier home. Whether you’re planning a small project or a complete home overhaul, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
