It’s no secret that the planet is getting hotter — in fact, 2023 was the hottest year since recordkeeping began in 1850. NASA predicts that an average global temperature increase of just 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could lead to devastating climate effects that could compound one another. In 2023, the average global temperature increase was measured at 1.18 degrees Celsius, and it was the hottest year ever recorded.
So this is fun.
It’s becoming painfully clear that we’ll have to adapt to the changes coming or risk suffering from them in ways big and small. And, as surprising as it may sound, Costco can help. Costco home services include a variety of installed products that can keep your home temperature-friendly and save you money as the planet warms. Here are a few to consider today.
- Window Treatments
According to the Department of Energy, cellular shades and curtains can save you a lot of money on energy bills, especially in the summer.
Medium-colored curtains with a white backing can reduce heat from windows by up to 33%, indicating a reduced need for air conditioning. Cellular shades, when installed tightly and correctly, can reduce unwanted solar heat coming through windows by up to 60%. In the winter, cellular shades reduce heat loss from those same windows by at least 40%; draperies can reduce heat loss in the winter by up to 10%.
But the good news is that these two types of window treatments can be used together or in conjunction with other window treatments that can have a lesser, but significant impact on your HVAC or ductless mini split system.
Your local Costco has partnered with Grabber to find and fit the best window coverings for your home, no matter what your goals are. Costco members also get a 10% Costco Shop Card with qualifying window treatment purchases.
Related: Best Credit Cards for Costco
- Garage Door Installation
Your garage door is often the largest continuous surface on the outside of your home, and is the surface least likely to be well insulated. Depending on which direction it faces, how well your garage walls are insulated, and the size of your garage door, it can trap a lot of heat in the summer and lose heat in the winter.
Plain steel garage doors have an R-value of 0, which means they have no insulating value at all. Wood garage doors have an R-value of 2, which is minimal, but better than nothing. But an insulated garage door can have an R-value of 6.5 or higher, often 18.4 or better.
To put it another way, an R-value of 8 means that 90% of the heat flow is blocked; an R-value of 12 blocks 93% of the heat flow; and an R-value of 16 blocks 95% of the heat flow. Keeping the heat out in the summer and in in the winter is the name of the game when you’re trying to cope with the changing climate.
Costco’s Home Services installs the Amarr Garage Door with LiftMaster Garage Door Opener for your home from installers who know the job. After all, why pay for a triple-insulated garage door if it’s still going to leak due to improper installation? Costco members will get a 10% Costco Shop Card on eligible purchases.
- HVAC Upgrades
Of course, with so much insulation comes the need for a more efficient way to control your indoor climate as well. Air conditioners and heat pumps are rated using a measurement called the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). The lower the SEER rating, the greater the power demand on the unit.
Over the past two decades, SEER rating minimums have increased dramatically, bringing forth a whole new generation of highly efficient HVAC systems. By replacing older units that may have a SEER rating of 8 to 10, you can save up to 40% on your energy costs, which can make a big cost difference, especially when combined with other energy saving measures.
Today’s systems start at SEER 13 and typically go up to SEER 21, but some systems can go even higher, especially if you’re considering converting to a ductless mini split system. Costco has partnered with Lennox to help members feel more comfortable in their homes with lower expenses and less strain on the energy grid.
Costco members will receive a 10% Costco Shop Card on eligible appliances, not including duct system repairs or modifications, plus significant savings on their energy bills throughout the year.
Climate change is tough, but Costco can help
It’s not possible to prevent some of the worst effects of climate change as we continue to slide into higher and higher average planetary temperatures. But you can help yourself as you move forward and prepare your home for the almost certain inevitability.
By adding insulation to windows and garage doors and upgrading to a more efficient climate-control system, you’ll be able to cope with record-breaking hot days as well as bitter cold winters more affordably. It also makes it easier to budget for a less-predictable future.
But all this
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