Anyone who wants to learn how to save money on their heating and air conditioning bills, and who doesn’t? – should become familiar with the term Seasonal Energy Efficiency Index (SEER) as part of an overall strategy to improve the energy efficiency of your home. (SEER is the energy efficiency rating of a residence or small commercial business.)

Consider the example of Bill and June. Bill and June own a 40-year-old, one-story, 2,000-square-foot home in rural Florida. He doesn’t like high humidity, while she hates high air conditioning bills even more, but they both don’t know what to do. What improvements could Bill and June make to their home to lower the cost of their utility bills?

Here are five energy efficiency home improvements and their benefits.

Upgrade the HVAC heat pump

Most homes built in the 1990s, 1980s or older have HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) systems with SEER ratings ranging from 6 to 10 or 11. In contrast, a newer and older HVAC system Energy efficiency will have a SEER rating of at least 15, and up to 22.

Even a new HVAC system with a rating of 15 can be expected to save a homeowner 20-25 percent on heating and cooling bills compared to a previous system with a SEER of less than 12. Regardless of the size of the home or the specific improvement, Seeking the highest possible SEER rating should be the deciding factor for any homeowner.

Add a smart thermostat to your HVAC system

Smart thermostats are one step ahead of programmable thermostats. Programmable thermostats save energy and money by reducing the temperature in your home while you are away or sleeping, but increasing the temperature to maximize comfort during peak hours, everyone is at home.

Smart thermostats take this concept a step further by connecting to the internet, often via a Wi-Fi clip, but also via other devices. Smart thermostats can be adjusted remotely via smartphone apps. Speak easy! In addition, smart thermostats offer 15-20 percent savings according to the US Department of Energy.

Upgrade the water heater

Conventional storage tank water heaters waste energy by keeping water hot even when no water is in use. Tankless water heaters, on the other hand, work on demand: heat water only When you need it. Smart Hot Water Controllers are an aftermarket add-on that provides all the energy savings of a tankless water heater and the convenience of a conventional storage tankless hot water heater. Adding a smart smart water heater controller can even be a DIY upgrade.

Like any upgrade, the exact power savings will vary. Still, the U.S. Department of Energy reports that homes with tankless water heaters or smart water heater controllers can be 24-34 percent more energy efficient than homes with traditional water heaters.

What about gas versus electricity? One is not “better” than the other, but it depends on the availability of heating. If you have natural gas lines where you live, then a gas water heater will make more sense than an electric one.

Change HVAC filters frequently and wash water heaters regularly

Air conditioning filters should be changed every month regardless of the frequency (or quantity) of air conditioning. The fan moves the air throughout the house regardless of whether the air is on, and the moving air eventually turns into dirty air, so replacing it every month is still a good idea.

As for the water heater, you have the option of cleaning or flushing. Cleaning the filter is easily done by simply taking it out and blowing it out with a compressor.

It is even more important to rinse the water heater regularly. Flushing prevents sediment build-up that can block the electric element or gas burner in the heater. Not only does this decrease energy efficiency over time, it can even cause the heater to fail prematurely.

Some in the HVAC industry recommend annual flushing, but doing it every four months is an even smarter precaution. An unloaded heater will heat the water faster, and a more energy efficient heater costs less money to operate.

Install a smart HVAC controller

Modern homes are often built as tightly as possible, but a well-built home is not necessarily a well-ventilated home. If a building is “too narrow”, indoor air quality suffers. Without proper ventilation, defined as the exchange of indoor air and outdoor air, pollutants such as radon, formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other pollutants can accumulate, which can lead to potentially serious health problems. This can be especially true in small commercial businesses that can have a lot of harmful chemicals in the air; a nail salon would be an example. To avoid this, current standard building practices include adding an always open fresh air duct to the HVAC system.

Unlike a “smart thermostat” that automates temperature settings, a smart HVAC controller, as the name suggests, controls and integrates every aspect of the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system together for maximum efficiency.

Smart HVAC controllers connect to the duct system and use indoor and outdoor sensors to automatically shut off the air conditioner when temperatures are comfortable and humidity is comfortable, drawing cool, cool air indoors, while air contaminated is discharged to the outside. Basically, IOQ is addressed 24/7. Additionally, Smart HVAC controllers improve energy efficiency by ventilating the building only when necessary to improve IAQ, closing the fresh air duct, and resealing the building tight when IAQ is good. Smart HVAC controllers also minimize compressor and heater operation by using outside air to adjust indoor air temperature whenever possible.

It’s no wonder that adding a smart HVAC controller often leads to the biggest savings in heating and cooling costs, in some cases as much as 30 per cent savings.

Tackling these five energy upgrades, and making sure you use the highest possible SEER rating for each one, will maximize the efficiency of any home or small business, whether it’s Bill and June’s home or YOURS.