Today’s growing environmental issues motivate more people to embrace better and more eco-friendly practices. What better way to be part of the movement than by making your home more energy efficient? Unknown to many is that improving home efficiency offers more than two benefits.
The Many Benefits of Home Efficiency
Improving a property’s energy efficiency helps reduce energy wastage. The less energy your house consumes, the less energy is wasted. This also leads to more savings you can enjoy from your lower energy bills.
A more efficient home also results in increased comfort. One can notice a huge difference when it comes to the indoor temperature and air quality after a few energy-efficient improvements. These include the installation of energy-efficient heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning units, better insulation, and weatherstripping.
Attaining optimal home efficiency levels also help in improving your family’s health. This is since this enhances your home’s indoor air quality. The less polluted our indoor air is, the less likely it would be for your family to get sick.
Did we mention that improving your property’s efficiency also helps in improving home value? More people are into eco-friendly houses. If you decide to sell your energy-efficient home in the near future, you can sell it for a higher price.
One perk many people don’t know about an efficient home is that they get to lower their home insurance fees. Many things can influence the amount of home insurance you need to pay. Know that with a more energy-efficient home, you can save money on some home insurance fees.
Simple Practices to Make Your Home More Efficient
Luckily, you are not required to invest thousands in cash just to make your home more efficient. All it takes is to be more mindful of how you tackle home maintenance and improvements. Even with a limited budget, you can accomplish efficiency-improving tasks like the following.
Invest in Preventive System Maintenance
You may not have the budget to install a new HVAC system, upgrade to a tankless water heater, or switch to low-flow water fixtures. But the best thing you can do is to ensure you tackle preventive maintenance on your major systems. Always checking on your systems and hiring the pros to repair and maintain these for you will make them more efficient and longer-lasting.
So, make sure you keep up with your seasonal home maintenance. Have major systems repaired the first sign of damage or inefficiency. This can help lower your future repair costs while ensuring your home’s comfort.
Switch to LED Light Bulbs
Incandescent light bulbs are often the go-to choice of homeowners simply due to their cheaper costs. But compared to LEDs, they have a shorter lifespan. This means you will need to replace them again soon enough.
By switching to LEDs, you can save more money in the long run. Don’t be fooled by the higher upfront costs. These are long-lasting, consumers less energy, and will surely last 50 times more than your old incandescent lights.
Skip the Hot Water
Many people are using hot water when washing their clothes and dishes. But according to Treehugger, washers use up to 90% energy just to heat the water alone. The other 10% is for running the machine.
To lower your washer’s energy consumption, choose to wash your clothes using cold or warm water instead. When drying the clothes, it is best to skip the dryer. Do hang your clothes under the sun to reduce energy wastage.
Say No to Energy Vampires
When was the last time you really unplugged your electronics after using them? Most likely, you are guilty of leaving your chargers plugged in even after use. This is what you call energy vampires.
This is since such habits still consume energy despite no electronics being currently used. According to energy.gov, energy vampires like plugged phone chargers can suck up to .26 watts. You can either choose to unplug every electronic or charger after using them or use power strips instead.
Add Extra Attic Insulation
It can be tricky to know if your home is well-insulated. Newer homes tend to be more efficient than older houses. If you are not sure but you feel like your house could use a bit more insulation, go for additional attic insulation.
There are tons of sustainable insulation solutions in the market. The additional insulation helps improve your energy savings and your family’s comfort. You can even recoup the costs of the insulation within a few years of insulation.
There are so many ways to improve your home’s efficiency without spending a lot of cash. One gets to increase their family’s comfort while enjoying enormous savings and help in reducing your home’s environmental impact. You can save your hard-earned savings towards preventive measures and efficient upgrades.
