Winter is coming, and there’s a chill in the air.  If your home’s furnace is more than 10 years old, there’s a good chance that at least 40% of the energy it consumes is not going toward heating your house.  Compare that to modern gas furnaces that achieve efficiencies of  80-95%.

For those living in colder climates, upgrading to a high efficiency central furnace has never made more sense.   According to Carrier, switching from an old furnace with efficiencies of 55-60% to a high efficiency modern furnace can save you up to $1,000 a year.

To put things in perspective, heating your home accounts for over 50% of total residential energy consumption.  Using numbers provided by the government’s Energy Information Administration, if just 20% of America’s inefficient furnaces were replaced, an amazing 220 trillion BTUs of natural gas would be saved annually.

* Total furnace consumption = 3.6 quadrillion BTUs annually.     3.6 quadrillion x 20% furnace replacements x 30% gained efficiencies = 220 trillion BTUs

Click here to view natural gas datasheet (.pdf)

Image courtesy of Carrier

Most window films contain metal which reflects light and reduces visibility.  The Prestige line of window films from 3M contain no metal, yet are very effective in blocking UV rays and solar energy.  An absence of metal also means no corrosion or loss of cell phone signal.

Image courtesy of 3M

There are several things to consider before applying window films.  First, understand your climate and the orientation of your house or apartment.  If you live in a cold climate, apply film on the inside of northern and eastern-facing windows to keep heat in.  In warmer climates, apply film to southern and western-facing glass as a barrier against heat.

Besides saving on utility bills, 3M films reduce fading to interior furnishings, wall, and floor coverings by virtually eliminating UV rays.  And while heavy tint can actually lower your home’s value, 3M Prestige line of films are available either modestly tinted or clear.

3M window films lower energy consumption and saves money.  What’s not to like?

When it comes to utility bills, you don’t have to spend a lot to save a lot. The Hunter Fan Company has been in the business of keeping folks comfortable since 1886, and their line of fans and programmable thermostats can help reduce energy costs regardless of the season. In the summer, properly sized ceiling fans can allow you to raise the thermostat 4 to 5 degrees with no loss of comfort. In fall and spring, the combination of fans and cross-ventilation may allow you to turn off air conditioning completely. When it gets cold, reverse the blade rotation to push the hot air down from the ceiling. Because the room temperature is more equal, you can lower the thermostat 2 to 4 degrees. This is especially effective in rooms with tall ceilings.

Image courtesy of Hunter Fan

Replacing a manual thermostat with a programmable model allows you to heat and cool intelligently. Program each day of the week based on your schedule to avoid climatizing an empty home, and enjoy the immediate benefits provided by lower utility bills.

American style tank water heaters are rare in much of the world, and for good reason. Storing heated water in a large tank doesn’t make sense. As energy prices climb, paying a little extra up front for a tankless water heater will save money over the long term while reducing energy consumption.

Image courtesy of Rinnai.us

Central computer-controlled tankless heaters from Takagi, Rheem, Rinnai and Noritz heat water on demand, eliminating the need to store heated water. Since tankless heaters are smaller and safer than tank heaters, they may be placed in any room with access to an outside wall.

The most popular advantage of tankless water heaters is that you will never run out of hot water. This is because tankless water heaters heat water on demand, and that means no storage or shortage of hot water. Imagine the luxury of always having hot showers or filling up a Jacuzzi hot tub and still having endless supply of hot water for the rest of your household needs.