Why a Western New York Home Energy Assessment is Crucial
The weather in Western New York can be very extreme. In the winter, we experience single digit temperatures and excessive wind chills. While our summer months are beautiful, temperatures can rise into the 90’s Fahrenheit throughout the months of July and August. To keep the interior of our homes comfortable, we rely on our heating and cooling equipment. Also, things like insulation and ventilation can have an impact. If we’re relying on our equipment too frequently, this can result in the overconsumption of energy. This leads to high energy bills, which causes our household budget to take a hit. Let’s discuss the benefits of a home energy assessment in the WNY region, including beneficial changes you can make.
What Is a Home Energy Assessment?
A home energy assessment takes into consideration all the different aspects of your home that consume energy. This includes your furnace, air conditioners, appliances, electronics, and much more. When your energy consumption is excessive, so are your energy bills. Our goal is to help you determine what changes you can make to reduce your energy consumption. This can save you as much as 5% to 30% on your monthly energy bills, according to the US Department of Energy. Not to mention, a few slight changes can help reduce your carbon footprint.
Making Improvements
Once we determine the areas of your home that are the biggest energy hogs, we can make suggestions for upgrades and changes that can be made. This can include several things.
Insulation Upgrades
If your home doesn’t have enough insulation, this allows conditioned air to escape your home. This also allows heat or cold from the outside to come into your home, causing your heating and cooling equipment to run more frequently. We can add different types of insulation to your Western New York home, including spray foam insulation, cellulose insulation, and fiberglass insulation. The product we recommend will depend on the current amount of and type of insulation that you have in your home, the age of your home, etc.
Addressing Air Leaks
It’s common for homes to have gaps and cracks around the foundation, windows, and doors that allow air to pass through. While some degree of air exchange with the outside is beneficial for indoor air quality, too much can lead to you running your heating and cooling equipment more often than necessary. By sealing up these gaps and cracks, you can boost energy efficiency. This can also eliminate having drafty rooms or rooms that are drastically different than other rooms regarding temperature. Professionals can use infrared technology to spot air leaks that homeowners can’t see with the naked eye.
Assessing Your Appliances
Appliances are beneficial for convenience and efficiency, but they tend to consume a lot of energy. This applies to things like your furnace, air conditioning unit, air purification equipment, whole-house humidifier, and so on. We will look at your appliances to see if an upgrade would be beneficial. The upfront cost may seem high, but ENERGY STAR-rated equipment can save you a lot of money in the long run. A lot of new equipment comes with different convenience features, such as remote programming using a smart device.
Lighting Considerations
The types of light bulbs and fixtures that you use in your home may significantly raise your energy bills each month. The upgrade to LED bulbs not only saves you money on your utility bills, but you won’t have to replace the bulbs as often. There are many different styles and types of bulbs and fixtures available, allowing you to save money while achieving the ambiance that you desire.
Professional Home Energy Assessment Services
If you live in the Western New York area and are interested in learning more about the benefits of a home energy assessment, reach out to Vastola Heating & Cooling for assistance. In addition to assessing your home for its energy use, we install, maintain, and repair heating and cooling equipment. We service ductwork, can install a whole-home humidifier or dehumidifier, and address indoor air quality concerns with whole-house air purification equipment. We also offer boiler services, snow melt systems, and much more. Contact Vastola Heating & Cooling today for more information or to schedule an appointment.
