Town of Davie, FL - Energy Efficiency

As much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. So making smart decisions about your home's heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can have a big effect on your utility bills — and your comfort. Take these steps to increase the efficiency of your heating and cooling system.

Check your filter every month, especially during heavy use months (winter and summer). If the filter looks dirty after a month, change it. At a minimum, change the filter every 3 months. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool — wasting energy. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system — leading to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure.

Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort.

A programmable thermostat is ideal for people who are away from home during set periods of time throughout the week. Through proper use of pre-programmed settings, a programmable thermostat can save you about $180 every year in energy costs.

Ducts that move air to-and-from a forced air furnace, central air conditioner, or heat pump are often big energy wasters. Sealing and insulating ducts can improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system by as much as 20 percent — and sometimes much more.

Replacing your old heating and cooling equipment with new, energy-efficient models is a great start. But to make sure that you get the best performance, the new equipment must be properly installed. In fact, improper installation can reduce system efficiency by up to 30 percent — costing you more on your utility bills and possibly shortening the equipment's life.

In the average U.S. home, lighting accounts for about 20% of the electric bill. Americans can save money and protect the environment by installing ENERGY STAR qualified lighting.

The easiest way to start saving energy is to change out the light bulbs in your current fixtures. If you are remodeling, building a new home, or just updating the look of a room, consider installing new ENERGY STAR qualified light fixtures.

To save the most energy and money, replace your highest use bulbs and fixtures with ENERGY STAR lighting. Focus on the kitchen ceiling lights, the living or family room table and floor lamps, and outdoor porch or post lamp.

Home electronic products use energy when they're off to power features like clock displays and remote controls. U.S. households spend $100 per year to power devices while they are in this "standby" power mode. Products that have earned the ENERGY STAR use less energy to perform these functions, while providing the same performance and features as conventional models. Using less energy preserves energy resources and helps reduce the risks of global warming while saving money on energy bills.

Simple actions can make a big difference. The average home has two TVs, three telephones, and a DVD player. If these items were replaced with ENERGY STAR qualified models, it would save over 25 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to that of more than 2 million cars.

From warm showers to clean dishes, we count on hot water. In fact, the average household spends $400–$600 per year on water heating — making it the second largest energy expenditure behind heating and cooling.

Most Americans have conventional water heaters that are barely more efficient than ones sold 20 years ago. Today's new ENERGY STAR qualified water heaters include smart design enhancements that offer significant improvements in efficiency — and performance. Depending on the technology you choose, you can cut your water heating costs in half!

A water heater lasts about 10–15 years, and when it fails it can leave you with a big mess. When in a rush to replace, it's hard to evaluate options and consumers often end up with the least efficient choice. If you're one of the 27 million households with a water heater that's more than ten years old, consider replacing it with an ENERGY STAR qualified model before it fails. By acting early you have more control of your purchase and can start saving money right away.