Winter has settled in here in Illinois, and homeowners across the state, from Peoria and Bloomington to Morton, Pekin, and East Peoria, are cranking up their heat to combat the cold. And while it’s not unusual to experience a slight jump in heating costs during the coldest winter months, a major increase is definitely cause for concern.
If you’re constantly reaching for the thermostat and still can’t seem to stay warm, there may be an underlying issue with your insulation or air sealing that’s making your home uncomfortable and causing unusually high energy bills. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to improve your home’s energy efficiency and reduce the strain on your HVAC system.
Update Your Insulation
Insulation is often overlooked, but it’s one of the most important components of your home’s overall energy efficiency. Without the right insulation, heat can easily escape your home and cold outdoor air can sneak in. This can send your heating system into overdrive as it attempts to stabilize interior temperatures, resulting in excessively high energy bills.
Improper insulation can cause other problems, too, like drafty walls, cold floors, and ice damns, so finding a trusted insulation contractor to update your insulation in Peoria, IL or a nearby city is a great place to start when trying to reduce energy usage and address your home’s high energy bills.
Stop Air Leakage by Sealing Gaps
Much like water, air can find its way into any gap or crack, no matter how small it may be. There are many places in your walls, ceiling, and floors that are susceptible to cracks, especially around:
- Fireplaces
- Doors and windows
- Basement floor joists
- Fans and vents
- Plumbing and electrical penetrations
- Attic hatches
Air leakage in these areas can seriously impact your energy usage, as your HVAC system will have to work twice as hard to combat the cold air that gets inside your home and replace the heated air that escapes. Not only will this increase your energy consumption and cause your energy costs to skyrocket, but it can also allow for a lot of draftiness and greatly affect your home comfort.
The solution to this problem is air sealing—a process through which openings are sealed shut. When done correctly, air sealing works in tandem with your home’s insulation and improves its performance. This can help you reduce your energy costs and save money while also increasing home comfort so that you and your family can stay warm all winter long. A good insulation contractor will be able to help you shore up gaps with air sealing so that your insulation can do its job.
Get an Energy Audit
Before you invest in air sealing services or new insulation for your Peoria, IL home, you need to find out where the problem is occurring. Having a home energy audit completed by a trusted insulation contractor will help you pinpoint the problem so that you can stop it at its source. AAA Northgate—a highly experienced local insulation contractor—offers whole-home energy audits for free to homeowners in Peoria, Bloomington, Morton, Pekin, East Peoria, and throughout all of Central Illinois. By conducting an energy audit, our expert team can help you find out where you’re losing the most heat and money at your home. Then, we can recommend a personalized solution that will help you maximize energy savings.