Make Energy Efficiency Actions Part of Your Home Spring Cleaning Plans

Spring is right around the corner. And, with Daylight Savings Time ready to take effect Sunday, March 9, you might consider taking advantage of additional daylight to do some Spring cleaning. If you do, consider adding a few items to your to-do list that can help your home become more energy efficient. It could save you money and energy all year round.

• Clean or replace your air filters—Heating and cooling consumes up to 50% of total home energy use in an average household. Dirty air filters make your furnace and air conditioner work harder to circulate air. Replacing a dirty filter with a clean one helps your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system operate efficiently, removes particulates from the air, and protects your system from dirt buildup, which can cause it to fail prematurely.
• Clean areas around your heating and cooling vents—Furniture, carpets and other objects can block vents and prevent heated or cooled air from traveling. This blockage makes your heating and cooling system work harder and takes longer to get rooms to the desired temperature.
• Manage sunlight properly—Spring is a transitional time. When the temperatures are cold, open window treatments on south-facing windows to take advantage of natural light for warmth. When temperatures rise, close treatments to keep the sun’s warmth from overheating your rooms and making your air conditioner work harder.
• Use fans and ventilation to cool your home— Hot air rises so, in cooler months, set ceiling fans clockwise to push warmer air downwards. During warmer months, set ceiling fans counterclockwise to create a cooling, wind-chill effect. Remember: fans cool people, not rooms, so turn off ceiling fans when you leave the room to conserve energy.
• Take advantage of smart or programmable thermostat technology—Many smart thermostats learn your temperature preferences and establish a schedule that automatically adjusts to energy-saving temperatures when you are asleep or away. With a programmable thermostat, you can adjust the times and temperature of your HVAC system to a pre-set schedule.

ComEd offers a host of energy-saving tips through the award-winning ComEd Energy Efficiency Program, which includes instant discounts and rebates on a wide range of energy-saving appliances and technologies, technical services and whole-building solutions to help residential, business and public-sector customers reduce energy use and save money on electric bills.

Since its launch in 2008, the program has helped hundreds of thousands of customers save more than $10 billion on their energy bills, and more than 89 million megawatt-hours of electricity. This is enough energy to power more than 10 million ComEd customers’ homes for one year.

If you’re in current need of assistance with your electricity bill, ComEd can also connect you to support programs like LIHEAP grants, payment arrangements, budget billing, high-usage alerts, and more.

To help customers sort through all of the bill-assistance options and energy-efficiency programs it has available, ComEd offers its Smart Assistance Manager (SAM) at ComEd.com/SAM. SAM is an online self-service tool that can match customers with the programs for which they may qualify.