Have you been thinking about making your home more energy-efficient and saving money in the process? There are a lot of options out there, some more expensive than others.
Discover whether or not these changes can help you with energy-saving opportunities.
Have an Energy Audit
Most utility companies offer an energy audit; they often do it for free. They send out a expert to look at your appliances, lights, windows, doors, etc. Then they make recommendations for changes you can make that will save energy and money.
Swap Out Lightbulbs
Compact fluorescent or LED bulbs can be more expensive than incandescent bulbs, but they are said to last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, plus they use about 25% of the energy. If you decide to swap them out all at once, you’ll start seeing a difference in your next utility bill.
Keep Tabs on the Sun
In the Northern Hemisphere, windows with southern exposure will get the most direct sunlight. Make note of when the sun shines into your home across the seasons and adjust your blinds accordingly. If the sun shines directly into your home during winter, then you may be able to save money on your heating bill. Open your curtains and blinds in the morning to warm things up. In the summer do the opposite. Close the blinds to keep your home cool throughout the day.
Weather-strip Windows
Your windows may not be airtight. This means is you will have drafts coming in - sneaking hot or cold air into your house. A relatively cheap fix would be to weatherstrip the windows. This should eliminate drafts. It’s just a trip to a hardware store, then taking a few minutes to weatherstrip each window.
Turn Down Water Heater
Your home’s water heater is always in use, keeping the water at the correct temperature. If the water heater’s gauge is set at a high temperature, then keeping it “consistently hot” takes a lot of energy to maintain.
Take a look at the settings and see if the hot water really needs to be that hot. Turning down the temperature even five degrees can actually save you money. Plus, you may not even be able to tell the difference between the temperatures!
Buy a Smart Thermostat
With a smart thermostat you could set it to lower the temperature of your home by 10 to 15 degrees when you’re gone, and then bring it back to “normal” just before you arrive home. Many of these smart thermostats even have the ability to choose temperatures by days of the week.
Insulate the Attic & Basement
Heat rises, and that applies inside your house as much as it does anywhere. Therefore, a drafty attic can result in energy being spent in keeping the house warm in the winter. It also doesn’t help in the summer either. An uninsulated basement can let the cold air in during the winter and out in the summer. Be sure to check to see if your attic and basement are air-sealed and insulated.
Deciding to make your home more energy-efficient can involve simple things like taking colder showers, or as complex as replacing appliances or installing solar panels. Take time to figure out your ideal level of investment, then take one step at a time.
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