Conserving Energy

Male Speaker: Thanks Dave for coming and to talk to us today.

David Walton: No, problem and I know exactly what you are going through. And by making a few simple changes in your home ensuring that your furnace and air conditioner well maintained, we are going to be able to save you money on your energy bills and protect the environment.

Installing, the programmable thermostat in your home, will help to normalize the temperatures, be more energy efficient, and save you money on your energy bills.

Okay. What we want to do now is help to reduce your energy bills. So what you need to do is set the programmable thermostat to suit your lifestyle. So as an example, if you leave your home everyday at 8 o'clock in the morning and you are home by 5, we can set this, so that the temperature is a little bit warmer, a little higher on the thermostat during the day, and then maybe perhaps by around 4:30 or so, we can have it start to kick on and cool the house down for you, for when you get home.

Well, one of the things that you want to make sure that you do, is get an annual maintenance done on your air conditioner. As well, what you need to remember to do is either change or clean your air filter every 90 days, winter and summer.

Male Speaker: So Dave, is there anything you can tell us about our outdoor unit?

Dave Walton: Oh! There sure is. First and foremost, because this is a brand new home and you haven't got any landscaping done, once you do start to put in gardens, what you want to make sure you do is keep any plants or trees or shrubs at least 2 feet away from this unit.

Next, come fall, you want to make sure you protect the unit from winter, by putting a properly sized cover on it. In the spring, when you take that off before you start air conditioner up for the first time, get your garden hose out, and you can gently spray the fins, and that will just all keep them clean. Again, all that contributes to better efficiency.

Male Speaker: What else can you tell us, that's going to help us save money and become energy efficient?

Dave Walton: There's many things I can tell you. Let's go on inside and I'll show you. About 30% of a home's heating and cooling costs are lost through poorly fitted windows and doors.

In your case, with a brand new home, you have got nice tight fitting windows and doors right now. But, what you want to watch for over the years, is that becoming brittle and cracking, and you want to keep up on that around, both the frame and also around the trim as well.

Further with the floor registers, what you want to make sure you do is keep carpets and furniture, and curtains away from those, so the air can circulate well throughout the home.

Female Speaker: That's great. Well, thanks very much for coming. I'd say we have really learned a lot.

Dave Walton: You are most welcome. I hope I have answered all your questions.