Through the Roof! Why Your Energy Bills Keep Going Up and Up | Great Canadian Roofing & Siding
The price of energy increases all the time, but that doesn’t always explain why our energy bills climb to such dizzying heights. If you’ve recently noticed a spike in your power bill, you might have something other than the economy to blame. The culprit might be your house.
Before you can fix this problem, you need to hunt down the specific part of your house that caused it. Here’s a list of the most common offenders:
- Broken Seals and Weather Stripping
Have you looked at the seals around your windows and doors lately? If they’re cracked, broken, peeling, or simply missing, then your house is far less energy efficient than it could be. All of your cooled or heated air escapes through the miniscule openings around your doors or windows, which makes your HVAC system work harder to compensate. Seal the cracks to lower your power bill. - Old HVAC Systems
As mentioned, appliances age and become less and less efficient over time. If a technician regularly performs maintenance on your HVAC system, it will stay more efficient for many years, but you will have to replace it eventually. New HVAC systems are far more energy efficient than their older counterparts ever were. If you’d like to lower your bills, buy a new furnace or air conditioner. - Inefficient Appliances
You’ve seen the advertisements and commercials that portray refrigerators and water heaters as vampire-like drains on your wallet. They consume tons of energy and hike up your power bills. If you have really old fridges, microwaves, water heaters, washers, or dryers, they may be costing you more money than they’re worth. Even light bulbs may be zapping more energy than they should.
If you have old appliances, you’ll benefit from purchasing new ones with high ENERGY STAR ratings. Simply ask your nearest provider which ones will be best for your home. - Poor Insulation in Your Walls
Heat moves easily in and out of your home when you don’t have insulation, which means that your furnace or air conditioner has to compensate by using more energy. Consider replacing your insulation if you have high power bills. - Poor Roof Insulation/Ventilation
Don’t forget to check your roof when you go hunting for the cause of your high bills. If your attic doesn’t have any insulation, it’s worse than if you had broken seals or weather-stripping. The heat from your furnace just escapes through your roof in the winter, and the hot air in the attic quickly heats the cooled air in the rest of your house during the summer.
A well-ventilated and insulated roof will do wonders to lower your energy bills. Your HVAC system won’t have to work as hard to heat or cool your house.
If you need help with your roof insulation or HVAC system, you have an easy solution. Call Great Canadian! We know how to make your home as efficient as possible, and we will do all we can to help you save money.
