Heating and cooling costs make up a significant fraction of many families' bills. The following five tips can help you not only cool your home for less in summer but also stay cosy in winter.

1. Insulate Attic and Walls

Insulation traps heat inside the home on cold days and keeps it out when the weather is warmer. Adding insulation to your attic and walls ensures that as little as possible of the heating and cooling you pay for is lost to the outside.

If your walls have a cavity between the layers of bricks or concrete blocks, spray foam insulation can significantly reduce your heating and cooling bills. In the attic, you can lay down rolls of insulating material to prevent heat being lost through the roof.

2. Eliminate Drafts

Poorly fitting windows and doors allow heat transfer between the inside and outside of your home. In the winter, you might feel this as a cold draft that makes you feel chilly while you are relaxing at home. In summer, the heat transfer might be less noticeable, but it still makes your air conditioning system work harder.

A low-tech way to reduce drafts is to lay a draft stopper along the bottom of your door. For a more long-term solution, use sealant to get rid of tiny gaps around your windows and door frames.

3. Think About Heat Production

Many of the appliances in your home produce heat. These include your oven, washing machine, dryer and dishwasher. In the summer, it is a good idea to avoid using these appliances during the day when the temperatures are highest. In the winter, using your oven to cook could help to keep your home warm.

4. Keep HVAC Filters Clean

When the filters of your heating and cooling system become clogged with lint, dust and dirt, the HVAC system cannot efficiently circulate air around the home. This makes your cooling bills higher in summer and your heating bills higher in winter. Open the unit, remove the filters and remove the lint to make the filters work more efficiently.

5. Maintain Your HVAC System

Cleaning the filters of your HVAC system can improve its efficiency, but sometimes this simple step is not enough. If your bills remain high, contact a business that provides heating and cooling services. These professionals can check your HVAC system to ensure all its parts are working correctly. They can then repair any issues to help your heating and cooling system work as efficiently as possible.