Your Floor Plan May Be The Reason Why Your Energy Bill Is So High

The rising cost of everyday expenses is leading many homeowners to look at ways they can save. This includes the household power bill, which is also increasing for most people. You might implement ways to reduce your energy costs at home, such as lowering your thermostat when possible, only washing full loads of laundry and dishes, and unplugging certain appliances when you're not using them. Another possible reason why your energy bill may be so high has nothing to do with your consumption, but the actual layout of your home. An open floor plan is associated with higher heating and cooling costs, but there may be some steps you can take to offset the impacts to your energy bills.

There are many reasons why you won't regret an open floor plan, but energy consumption might not be one of them. The larger, open spaces can be difficult to keep cool in the summer, as well as heat evenly during the winter. As such, your home HVAC system may work overtime to reach and maintain the desired temperature you have set on your thermostat. Also, unlike a closed floor plan, it can be difficult to keep areas of your home cool during the summer because these larger open spaces are less capable of containing conditioned air.

Since changing your floor plan isn't always a viable option, you may be able to take steps to reduce your energy costs without making any major renovations. First, you can increase overall efficiency in an open floor plan by using different temperature settings for various zones in your home, especially when certain rooms are not in use. Ceiling fans can also help distribute cold and warm air, helping to increase the efficiency of your HVAC system. Yet another consideration is whether your HVAC system needs servicing or updating, as most last between 15 and 20 years.

It's also important to consider other possible updates you can make that may decrease your energy costs. For example, Iowa State University estimates that between 10% to 25% of your home heating costs during the winter could be attributed to escaped air through windows. You can prevent this by renovating your windows with either storm-grade or double-pane replacements. Appliances — especially older models — are other common culprits of higher energy usage, which may be remedied with newer versions that are "Energy Star" approved. Such tweaks can cost money up front, but they will likely make your home more efficient in the long-run.