One of the easiest ways to save money on energy costs is to take the proper steps to increase AC and heating efficiency. Here are some helpful tips for keeping your costs down while staying comfortable regardless of the season.

Perhaps the easiest thing you can do is simply turn down your thermostat during the colder months and up during the warmer ones. You shouldn’t adjust your thermostat to the point that you’re uncomfortable, but every degree you turn it down or up will save you approximately 3 percent on your energy bill. It’s also smart to adjust your thermostat settings up to 10 degrees whenever you plan on leaving your home for extended periods of time. Once you return, you can simply bring it back to its normal setting and avoid wasting energy when you’re not home.

Another way to see significant savings is to have your home or apartment’s ducts cleaned periodically. If you have ductwork that circulates hot and cold air throughout your home, it’s important to keep it flowing smoothly. The problem is that over time dust and debris can accumulate along the linings of ducts. When this happens, it can greatly reduce their efficiency and you can end up losing up to 60 percent of that air. Consequently, this makes your system work harder and it can cost you big time. Fortunately, having an HVAC technician clean your ducts can improve the performance of your heating and cooling and reduce your energy bills.

Along with this, you should make sure that there isn’t anything obstructing your home’s vents. For example, if rugs and furniture are partially or wholly covering a vent, it means that the room isn’t getting an adequate supply of air and you are wasting money. While moving obstructions is simple, it can help you save a considerable amount of money.

It’s also smart to seal windows and doors up as much as possible to prevent air from escaping. In fact, leaky windows and doors with spaces at the bottom between the floor are often the culprit behind high energy bills. Some things you can do to prevent this include locking your windows, caulking the perimeter of windows and placing door sweeps underneath drafty doors. This way, you can help hot or cold air stay inside your home.

Hope these tips from Diamond Heating & Air help you keep your cool!