Energy Efficiency - Larry & Sons, Inc.

Save Big with These Fall Energy Efficiency Tips

Posted on October 13, 2017April 27, 2023 by Larry & Sons

Fall is here, and for many of us, this season marks the beginning of higher-than-usual energy bills. If you’re like most people, you’d love to save on your bills but don’t know how to do it. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually have to make drastic changes to reduce your expenses. Below are a few fall energy efficiency tips to help you save big.

Fall Energy Efficiency Tips

Lower your thermostat. By turning down your thermostat by just a few degrees, you can save about two percent on your heating bill. If you set it at 68 degrees, you’ll still be comfortable,but your heating system won’t have to work so hard. You may also want to consider investing in a programmable thermostat that allows you to lower the temperature while you’re away.
Keep using your ceiling fan. You probably used your ceiling fan during the summer, and there’s no reason to stop now. Switching the fan’s blades to spin clockwise helps push heated air down and keep rooms warmer and more comfortable.
Use curtains and shades. During the day, open your curtains and shades to allow sunlight to enter and warm your home. At night, close them to prevent heat from escaping.
Make sure vents are not blocked. Blocked vents prevent warm air from properly circulating throughout your home. This forces your heating system to work harder to achieve the desired temperature. Make sure your vents are not blocked by furniture, toys, clutter, etc.
Reduce air leakage. Small leaks in your ductwork can add up to big expenses on your heating bills. Invest in professional duct sealing to reduce air leakage.

At Larry & Sons, we can help you make your home more energy efficient in the fall and throughout the rest of the year. For a helping hand with fall energy efficiency, contact us today.

6 Easy Ways to Improve Energy Efficiency During the Summer

Posted on July 20, 2017April 26, 2023 by Larry & Sons

For many people, energy bills are extremely high during the summer months. The constant need to run your air conditioner can really take a toll on your wallet and have you looking forward to cooler months. Fortunately, though, there are several things you can do to lessen summer’s impact on your wallet. Check out these easy ways to improve energy efficiency during the summer.

Switch Off Your AC When You’re Away

If you spend the majority of your day away from home, turn off your air conditioner. Too warm to turn the system off completely? At least set the thermostat a bit higher while you’re away so they system doesn’t have to work quite as hard.

Install a Programmable Thermostat

Programmable thermostats are pretty amazing when it comes to saving homeowners money. With one of these devices, you can set your air conditioner to keep your home at a higher temperature while you’re away and cool it back down before you arrive home.

Use Your Ceiling Fans

While ceiling fans don’t actually make your home cooler, they make you feel cooler. Set your ceiling fan to spin counterclockwise to create a comfortable breeze. When you have the breeze from your ceiling fan keeping you cool, you can turn your thermostat up a few degrees without sacrificing comfort.

Adjust Your Water Heater

Your HVAC system isn’t the only thing that has a thermostat. Your water heater has one, too, and if it’s set higher than 120 degrees, you’re wasting energy. Lower the temperature to immediately reduce operating expenses.

Install Surge Protectors

Many devices draw electricity even when they aren’t in use. Plug them into a surge protector that you can switch off when you aren’t using them. As a bonus, using surge protectors also protects these devices from damage.

Keep Up with AC Maintenance

Even a minor problem with your cooling system could waste a lot of energy. Keeping up with AC maintenance is the best way to ensure that minor problems are detected and corrected to allow your system to operate at peak efficiency.

At Larry & Sons, we are here to help you take care of your home’s systems throughout the year. Whether you need a hand with AC maintenance, installing a programmable thermostat or just trying to find ways to improve your energy efficiency, we’d be more than happy to assist. Contact us today by calling 301-733-5428.

Save Energy with These 5 Easy Tips!

Posted on January 2, 2017April 27, 2023 by Larry & Sons

2017 is here, and now is the perfect time to make New Year’s Resolutions and put them into action. While most people are starting on diets and exercise plans that are likely to fail, why not do something different this year?

Resolving to reduce your energy consumption is easy, and the payoff is huge. There are several small ways to use less energy, and these small changes are much easier to stick to than an entire overhaul of your diet!

Check out these tips to save energy in the New Year!

5 Easy Ways to Reduce Energy Consumption

Kick your old thermostat to the curb. Upgrading to a programmable thermostat can save you up to 10% on your annual heating and cooling bills by simply adjusting the temperature when you’re asleep or not at home. You stay comfortable, and your energy bills drop. What’s not to love?
Get rid of your old appliances. Old appliances could be wasting tons of energy. In fact, your appliances and electronics account for about 20% of your home’s energy consumption. By upgrading to Energy Star certified products, you could drastically reduce your usage. As a bonus, upgrading could make you eligible for valuable tax incentives.
Take advantage of the sun. During the winter months, opening up your curtains to let the sun in gives your heating system a bit of a break. Opening up the blinds also lets light in, meaning you need to use less electric lights. Remember to keep the blinds and curtains closed during the summer, though.
Pick up a power strip. Did you know that your electronic devices and chargers draw power even when they aren’t in use? Known as “energy vampires,” these things could be costing you up to $100 per year. Plug them into a power strip, and turn off the strip when the devices aren’t in use.
Schedule a home energy audit. Not sure what’s driving up your energy bills? A home energy audit is a great way to find out. During the audit, you’ll learn where you’re wasting energy and find out how to lower your consumption.

At Larry & Sons, we can help you discover ways to reduce your energy consumption all around your home. From sealing air ducts to prevent warmed or cooled air from escaping to helping you upgrade to a programmable thermostat to replacing your old energy hog of a water heater with a new tankless water heater, we’re here to help you make small changes that make a huge difference!

How to Cut Water Heating Costs

Posted on June 21, 2015July 23, 2024 by Larry & Sons

You may think that the only way to cut hot water usage is to use less hot water, but there are other ways to save money and energy. Although heating and cooling the air in our homes takes up most of our home’s energy costs, second on the list is hot water heating.

Water heating accounts for roughly 20-25% of our home energy consumption. Learn how to reduce your water heating costs with these 3 energy saving tips:

1. Lower Your Water Heater Temperature

Source: The Family Handyman

Most water heaters are automatically set to 140 degrees, which is often way too hot for most uses. Thousands of people go to the hospital every year from water water burns. Not only is it dangerous, but it is also inefficient to have the temperature set that high.

Most plumbers recommend a setting of 120 degrees, but you should experiment with the temperature to get it exactly where you want it; hot enough, but not too hot that it causes burns.

If your water heater does not have temperature numbers on the dial, you may have to do a little testing. First, test the temperature of your hot water by filling a glass with hot water and measuring it with a thermometer. Keep adjusting the dial until you get a glass filled with 120 degree water.

2. Install Low-Flow Plumbing Fixtures

Source: truevalueprojects

You can always save water and money by simply using less water, especially hot water, but you can continue to spend the same amount of time in the shower and still save on hot water costs by installing low-flow fixtures.

It is cheap to replace your fixtures with low-flow options and can reduce your hot water consumption anywhere from 25-60%!

Don’t worry about performance, because while low-flow fixtures can reduce the rate of flow by 50% or more, you still feel as though you are getting the same amount of water as before.

Contact Larry & Sons for more information on low–flow faucets, fixtures, and toilets.

3. Insulate Your Pipes (Maybe Your Tank Too)

Source: DIY Network

A lot of heat is lost through your pipes. Insulating your hot water pipes save you money on costly heat loss, but while you’re at it, you might as well insulate those cold water pipes to prevent dripping condensation.

Although there are several types of insulation to choose from, we recommend Tubular Sleeve Insulation.

If your pipes require more than one sleeve, make sure that you duct tape the seams that connect the two sleeves.

For more ways to save on your water heating bill, read energy.gov’s 15 Ways to Save On Your Water Heating Bill.

If you need help changing your hot water heater setting, insulating your plumbing, or installing low-flow fixtures in Maryland, give Larry & Sons a call at 301-733-5428.

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to schedule your annual heating tune-up. We offer installation, maintenance and repair of boilers, furnaces, and heat pumps systems.

With our maintenance plan, we’ll remind you of your annual tune-up, provide 15 % off all repairs, and much more!