If many of you are like myself, you find yourself with more things to do than you have time to do them during the holiday season. I quess that explains why I'm running a little late in getting this article out. The focus of our article this time will be how to save you money. Being specific, what is the best way to operate your heating/cooling system to minimize operating cost. Consider that the United States Department of Energy estimates that 43% of your utility bill goes to heating or cooling your home. Following are several ideas to help you reduce your operating cost.

• Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and as high as is comfortable in the summer. Also consider using programmable thermostats. With these thermostats, you can reduce the run time of your system when you are not going to be at home.
• Clean or replace filters once a month or as needed. Studies have shown that dirt built up on cooling coils can reduce the efficiency of your system by 25% within 3 years. The easiest way to look at this is a car that used to get 28 mpg now would get 21 mpg. Your system still works, but it cost you more to operate.
• Make sure your supply registers are not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes. You want your heated/cooled air to freely get out into the room it's trying to condition.
• Turn off kitchen, bath, and other exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing; when replacing exhaust fans, consider installing high-efficiency, low-noise models.
• During the heating season, keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
• During the cooling season, keep the window coverings closed during the day to prevent solar gain.

Long-Term Savings Tips

• Select energy-efficient products when you buy new heating and cooling equipment. Your contractor should be able to give you energy fact sheets for different types, models, and designs to help you compare energy usage. For furnaces, look for high Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) ratings. The national minimum is 78% AFUE, but there are models on the market that exceed 90% AFUE. Those that have an AFUE of 95 or higher qualify for the energy tax credit available on your 2009-2010 federal taxes.
• For air conditioners, look for a high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). The current minimum is 13 SEER for central air conditioners. ENERGY STAR models are 14 SEER or higher. A simple rule of thumb is that every SEER point higher is on average 10% more efficient.

Hopefully, you will be able to use some of these ideas to lower your cost at home. Of the ideas listed above, the most important is changing the filters and finding the thermostat setting that will maintain your comfort, yet minimize your systems run time.

Finally, we at Bragg Heating would like to wish each of you a very “Happy and Safe Holiday Season”. However, please keep in mind that not everyone has been as fortunate this year. Many have been beset by problems of which they have no control. So if you can, reach out and help someone in need. You may find, as I have, the best gift at Christmas is the one you give, not the one you receive. God Bless You.