• Residential heating and cooling system should be appropriately sized so that the home would be comfortable in the coldest weather as well as in the hottest weather. An HVAC (heating ventilation air-conditioning) specialist would be the most qualified source of information to help make a purchase decision.
• Most humans are comfortable at a relative humidity of 40% to 60%. In the winter, because typical heating systems tend to dry out the air, the net effect causes humans to feel chilled due to increased moisture evaporation from the skin. While the natural inclination is to turn up the heat, a better approach would be to maintain the relative humidity in a comfortable range thereby lessening this effect.
• Studies have shown that when humidity is maintained at around 50%, air-conditioning thermostats can be set as much as 5 to 7°F warmer while providing the same level of comfort to occupants.
• Sealing air leaks in a homes interior (inner walls, ceiling, windows and floors) can increase comfort and decrease energy bills.
• Programmable thermostats allow homeowners to maximize energy savings without sacrificing comfort. Adjusting the thermostat back for as little as 4 hours a day can result in significant savings.
• Planting shade trees in strategic positions is an attractive and effective way of cooling the home naturally. Shading can reduce interior temperatures by as much as 20°F.
• Opening windows and doors can create cross-ventilation in the home making the living environment more comfortable.
• In hotter climates, the use of ceiling fans can increase comfort and allow thermostats to be set warmer thereby saving on energy bills.

Windows... the Energy Efficient Kind. Windows in your home can be a major factor in heat loss during the winter and heat-gain during the summer. Energy used to heat and cool homes and buildings accounts for one quarter of all energy used for space heating and cooling.

Window frame construction is an important factor, along with the glazing (glass), that contributes to the energy efficiency of the window. Window frame frames come in a variety of materials including aluminum, vinyl, fiberglass and wood. While aluminum frames are strong and are ideal for customization, they are also prone to heat loss and condensation. Most energy efficient windows have wood or vinyl frames that do not conduct heat as easily as aluminum, for instance. If a window has a high resistance to heat-flow (or a high R-Value), it will lose less heat than a window with a lower R-value. There are a number of factors that affect the R-value of a window. These factors include glazing material, the number of layers of glass, the size of the air space between the layers of glass, the thermal conductivity of the spacer materials and the tightness of installation to prevent air leaks.