Whether you wish to live in a more eco-friendly home or just want to save money on your bills, you can take various home improvement steps to save energy. Making your house more sustainable will not only reflect on your pocket but on your health as well. Nowadays, more and more young homeowners consider home sustainability their top priority. Now, without further ado, let’s take a look at all the home improvements you can make to save energy.
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Get new lights
The easiest and quickest way to save money and save energy is to switch to LED lights. These use up to 90% less energy than your standard lightbulbs. Just switching to these can save you hundreds of dollars a year.
Insulate your home
One of the best ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency is to invest in insulation. It will keep the heat out during the summer months, and keep the heat in during the winter. Insulation drastically reduces the cost of heating and cooling and will pay for itself in a couple of years. It will also eliminate condensation on your walls, so you won’t have to worry about mold infestation. Various insulation materials are available on the market, such as reflective foil insulation and fiberglass.
Ease the burden on your AC
Is your AC on 24/7 during those hot, summer months? Well, with some adjustments, it doesn’t have to be. First of all, keep your home cooler by closing the curtains during the day. When buying curtains, remember to go with lighter colors which reflect the most sunlight. If you are just building your home, consider the size of your windows and their position. If you live in a cooler area, you can use large windows to keep your home warmer during the day, cutting electricity costs.
Upgrade your old windows
If your old windows are not properly sealed, you will use more than 30% of home energy through them. In other words, warm air will leave your home during those cold winter months, while hot air will enter your house during the summer. To avoid this situation, think about installing energy-efficient windows. These will keep the heated/cool air inside your home.
Replacing all of your windows can cost a pretty penny, so if you don’t have room in your budget for such projects, you can always reseal your old windows with caulk, glaze, weather stripping, or other materials. So, how can you determine whether you have draughty windows? Simple, just light a candle and place it next to the window. If the flame becomes unstable and moves, your windows are letting air into your house.
Get solar panels
Installing solar panels is not a small investment, but it will surely pay off in the long run. Apart from solar panels you can install on your roof, there are plenty of solar appliances you can add to your home to save energy. These appliances have become very affordable over the past few years, so this investment may not affect your pocket as much.
If you live in a warm climate, you surely know how the heat from the attic can spread throughout the house and even damage the structural integrity of your home. Solar attic fans can be a great solution to this problem. These will keep your attic cool and won’t draw any energy from your house. You can also invest in solar water heaters or outdoor solar lights. When it comes to solar lighting, there is a wide variety of options on the market. For instance, you can get string lights, flood lights, and pathway lights powered by the sun.
With a couple of changes, you can make your home much more sustainable and save money on your bills.
