Your heating and cooling bills can fluctuate drastically depending on how hard you work at keeping those costs down. You can control the amount of heat and air conditioning you use every winter and summer by maintaining your seals on your windows and doors. Drafty windows and doors can create wasteful loss of hot and cold air creating a larger bill for you to pay.
Try to maintain a maintenance schedule on your furnace and air conditioning units to ensure they are performing at their best. Every 3 months is a great time to change filters and clean units just like flipping your mattress. It’s easy to remember it if you line it up with the change of the seasons and mark it on the calendar.
Try layering up during colder months rather than turning up the thermostat. Even a couple degrees can make your bill rise substantially where a sweater can take a couple of seconds to put on instead. Keep curtains closed and the sunshine out during hotter months rather than cranking the AC as this will also increase your bill.
It may also help to buy more energy efficient appliances if yours are getting up there in age. The newer units use less energy and produce less carbon emissions which is a win win situation. You may also be able to access rebates from certain companies when buying newer units.
Take the time to give your home an energy audit and see where you can make some improvements this year!