Making your home more energy efficient is a great thing to strive for. There’s a lot of reasons why you should consider making your home more energy-efficient this year.
One of the most common reasons that homeowners consider energy efficiency is because it allows them to save more money on their electric bills. Everyone loves saving money, but it’s even better when you know that you’re doing your part to lower your carbon footprint as well.
Here are some easy ways to make your home more energy-efficient, save money, and save the planet!
Change Your LightBulbs
Making the switch from traditional incandescent lightbulbs to something more efficient like LED bulbs is a great way to save money. Incandescent bulbs sometimes use as much as 90% more electricity than an LED bulb will. But that’s not the best part. LED bulbs will rarely burn out. No more changing burnt-out lightbulbs. LED bulbs can last up to 20 years in some cases. That means you’ll be getting a new lamp before you need to find the right replacement bulb for it.
Wash Your Clothes in Cold Water When Possible
Heating water is by far one of the highest expenses that any home will incur on a given day. There are several reasons your hot water heater might need to run. For one, everyone likes taking hot showers, washing dishes in hot water is a must, and some homes are heated with hot water. Washing your clothes in cold water is one way that you can help to eliminate some of the need for your hot water heater to run. And, in most cases, it will help your clothes to last longer.
Air Seal Your Home
Air sealing homes have begun to take place more often but are still not common practice with every home. While newer homes will be built more air-tight, older homes will need to be checked and possibly re-insulted or have insulation added. To learn more about air sealing your home, reach out to WISA today, or read this post.
Use Natural Light When Possible
Natural light is a free way to keep your home lit so that you can enjoy your book or your company. During daylight hours, turn your lights off so that you can enjoy natural sunlight coming through the windows. Natural light is great for boosting productivity levels and saving energy!
Turn Your Electronics Off When You’re Not Using Them
If you’re not using a light, DVD player, tv, or any other electronic time, then there’s not much of a reason to have it on. It can be inconvenient at times to have to turn devices back on, but it will save you a lot of money on your electric bill. Additionally, some homeowners unplug their devices to save even more money on electricity. This is slightly more inconvenient than just turning devices off, but it will save you more money in the long run.
Replace Your Windows
Windows are one of the places where you’ll lose the most heat from your home. Many times they’ll have significant drafts in both the winter and the summer. This means that your heating and cooling bill will be fighting the outdoor temperatures.
While it might be expensive to get your windows replaced, it’s definitely going to help you save money on heating and cooling bills. Most homes that are over ten years old are going to see a big improvement in their heating and cooling bills when they replace their windows.
Install A Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat will help you save money by turning up or down during parts of the day when you’re either not at home or not needing your house to be at the coolest possible temperature. There’s no need to keep your home perfectly cool when you’re not at home to enjoy it.
Install Solar Panels
Solar panels are another great way to save money on your electric bills. You might have to pay some good money to get the panels installed, but you’ll be able to offset your electric bill completely in many cases. And the best part is that solar panels last for more than 25 years. You’ll be able to save energy and add value to your home for years to come.
Replace Your HVAC System
Older HVAC systems or heating and cooling systems can be very inefficient and will often use a lot more energy than they need to. As an added bonus, updating your HVAC system should also give you better heating and cooling all around. The newer energy star HVAC systems are extremely energy efficient, and many will operate at a fraction of older systems’ electricity usage.
The most important part about saving money and making your home more energy-efficient is that you’re conscious of the benefits. You can both save money and save the planet just by following a few of these simple steps.