In this day in age, we are all beginning to take much more responsibility as to thinking about how our choices are affecting the environment. As such – an increasing number of people are working on making their home more energy efficient. There are lots of factors to take into consideration when making these upgrades such as whether or not they will add value to your home, and how much money they will save you in the long run. Here we list some tips on how you can improve the energy efficiency of your home.
Speak to a Professional
Sometimes, you can never be sure which heating and cooling problems are present in your home. But this means your home loses energy efficiency daily, and you’re unable to locate the source. The solution to this is to get a professional tradesperson to come in and check for any issues. As trained experts, they will be able to identify specific areas that could contribute to a lack of energy efficiency. When identified, they can offer advice, and this could be a quick and easy fix that won’t break the bank, or it might be a more comprehensive repair. While this can sting a little, it’s always better to fix any problems as soon as they are identified to save more expensive repairs later on.
Purchase Energy Efficient Appliances
This is definitely something to consider if you have had your home for a while. If you have been there for more than 10-15 years, then there are appliances that you may want to consider upgrading. These include things like air conditioning, boilers or heating systems. The products that were made that length of time ago are much less energy efficient than what you can purchase now so it could make a massive difference to you in terms of your regular outgoings. Get a professional out to assess these main appliances to see how effective they still are and make an educated decision on which ones you would like to update. There are also finance options usually on these types of products that can help with the cost factor.
Ensure you have a Thermostat that is Programmable
By having a thermostat that is programmable, it gives the homeowner complete control of the temperature of their home. They are designed to allow you to set the best temperature for you but for as little money as possible. It also has the capability of turning the temperature down at times when there is nobody in, or times when you wouldn’t need it such as during the night. This means you aren’t wasting energy when you don’t really need to be.
Replace or Reseal Windows
Irrespective of the climate where you live, you need good quality windows to ensure there isn’t too much hot air or cold air getting into your home and controlling the temperature. One good option you could consider is a service offering residential and commercial tinting in Kennesaw, GA, as window tinting can further enhance energy efficiency by reducing heat gain and glare. It could be that your windows could do with simply being resealed, however – the likelihood is that if you have had them a good few years, you may be better off getting them replaced. New window models will do a far better job in terms of insulation than older ones. Window replacement companies such as American Vision Windows – have a broad selection of windows available that will improve the energy efficiency of your home. They specialise in lowering your energy bills – and even offer a free SunShield Extreme upgrade for those of you who are in sunnier climates.
Make your Water System Efficient
There are various ways to make your water system more efficient and save on bills. Some are more costly than others. You can make fairly simple changes such as ensuring you are using low-flow plumbing fixtures and fittings when it comes to shower heads, taps, and toilets. You can even get models these days that are adjustable so the user can set their own preference. They are also quite cheap to install, in fact if you are quite handy – you could potentially even do this yourself. The cost associated with this will normally pay for itself in a couple of months in terms of savings on utilities. You could also upgrade your water heater to a tankless water heater. Instead of producing hot water constantly, these water heaters they do so in demand. This means far less energy is used. It’s a more expensive purchase, but worth it in the long run. There are also sometimes finance options available for this type of purchase.
Add Cooling Fans to your Home
Air conditioners can be quite expensive to run, especially if you have it on quite frequently. An additional option could be to add a ceiling fan to the most used rooms in your home. As well as being aesthetically pleasing, they are very useful in terms of circulating the air in the warmer weather. This is particularly beneficial for those living in warmer climates such as San Diego. They are also a fraction of the cost in terms of running costs compared to air conditioners.
Work on your Lighting
The lighting is a massive part of your electricity bill, in fact it normally accounts for over a third. As such – you could make big savings on getting the lighting right. It could be very simple steps such as switching to LED lighting or getting new fixtures. Natural light should also be a consideration and making the most of what you have. This is where you might want to take a look at window options again, as larger aluminium windows for example will allow for a lot of natural light.
Install Solar Panels in your Home
Solar panels have become increasingly popular of late particularly if you get the sun where you live. On warmer days – you are likely to generate more energy than you would use, which means that you could even draw your air conditioning from the grid – and they still continue to draw energy even if it happens to be a cloudy day. Depending on where you live you could also earn a tax credit or rebate which would help with the cost of getting them installed. Your energy savings would take affect as soon as the panels are installed – and they also tend to last longer than regular roof tiles which makes it a long term investment for you.
Get your Attic Insulated
If you have a wall or roof that isn’t properly insulated – it can waste massive amounts of energy. Usually, attics are the biggest source of this. Even when an entire house is insulated, people tend to forget the attic. With the proper insulation, you could save a lot of money on your energy bills. The same goes for cavity walls. It is a little on the expensive side, however you will save money as time goes on. Some energy suppliers also offer funding for this, or allow you to pay in installments which will help with the cost element.
Change your Personal Habits
It may sound obvious, but you can make your home much more energy efficient just by changing your own habits. How many times have you gone to bed, but perhaps forgot to turn the lights or TV off? Do you still have the TV on even when you aren’t watching it? Have you tried switching your washing machine to a lower setting? Little things like this can make a big difference to the energy efficiency of your home. Make a special effort to try and change some of these habits and you will notice that your utility bills will get smaller.
If you are on a mission to make your home more energy efficient below to make sure you are being as kind to the environment as you can, or to save a little on your monthly outgoings – hopefully these top tips will come in handy.
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