More people than ever are interested in home efficiency. They see power rates rising and problems occurring in the environment, so they look for whatever solution possible to help themselves and the world.
Saving money on your bills isn’t the only reason to invest in energy efficiency either. Reports show that energy-efficient homes sell for more than $8,000 extra than homes that aren’t.
Are you interested in home improvements that will help you conserve energy at home? Check out the guide below to learn which ones make the most sense.
1. Insulate Your Walls and Attic
One issue homeowners make with older homes is poor insulation. The insulation used in the past wasn’t the best and degraded over time. Given how vital insulation is in maintaining your home’s climate, it makes sense to check to see if this is the case in your home.
Insulation sits between your walls and prevents the air from traveling between them. But as time passes and your insulation degrades, it becomes less able to do this.
You can hire home improvement contractors to examine your walls to see how things look. If your insulation looks bad, a contractor can re-do everything with better insulation.
2. Use LED Bulbs
Although your light bulbs individually don’t use much power, that changes when you have a lot of lights on at once. Each one adds a little to your power consumption and draws large amounts of power during the day.
The problem with traditional light bulbs is that they aren’t efficient. They draw too much power and go out too quickly. Luckily, LED bulbs are much more efficient.
Upgrade your home bulbs to LED bulbs to save energy. They cost more initially, but as time goes on, you’ll save money in power savings and not need to buy light bulbs as often.
Even better — you can create unique lighting scenes if you purchase smart LED bulbs.
3. Upgrade to Energy Star
You’ll have to replace your home appliances eventually. When that happens, you have an excellent opportunity to upgrade to something that uses energy more efficiently.
A problem appliances had in the past was that no guidelines outlined efficient energy use. This means old appliances use too much energy and drive up energy bills.
That’s no longer the case today with the Energy Star certification. If an appliance has this certification, you can be sure it uses energy efficiently. Check for the Energy Star logo for any new appliance to ensure you buy an energy-efficient product. You could also check out peco electricity rates to find out how much you can actually save on your monthly energy bill.
4. Look for Drafts
A problem that isn’t always easy to notice is drafts in your house. Doors and windows usually do a great job of sealing your home’s environment, but as time passes, they degrade and let in drafts because of cracks and other problems.
These drafts make it harder to control your home’s climate. It results in the temperature being off in your home and your HVAC unit working harder than necessary to control the climate.
Do what you can to find these drafts. Once you find the windows and doors with problems, look for products to fix the problem and stop the drafts.
5. Get a New Water Heater
Another big power draw for homes is the water heater. Traditional water heaters keep water hot at all times. Doing this does a great job of providing hot water, but it also uses a lot of power to do this.
The next time you need a new water heater, look into a tankless water heater when looking at home improvement supplies. Instead of keeping water constantly hot, tankless water heaters only heat water on demand.
This saves a lot of energy over time. It may not work as well if people regularly need hot water. However, most homes won’t have this problem and will barely notice a difference.
6. Use Programmable Thermostats
One of the most significant energy drains in a home is the HVAC system. Keeping your home at a comfortable temperature takes a lot of power. A problem when doing this is keeping your home at a good temperature when nobody is home.
You can manually change the thermostat when you leave and arrive. However, it’s not easy to remember to do this, and you will have to wait for the temperature to change back once you get home.
A programmable thermostat makes this easier. You can program it to change the temperature on a schedule when nobody is home. When you time it right, you’ll also have a comfortable temperature when you return.
7. Invest in Solar
If you have some money to spend, solar is a great home improvement to make. Many people will significantly reduce their power bill when doing this. Others with enough space and cash can completely remove it.
Another great thing about solar energy is that you can sell energy back to the grid. This allows you to use energy credits to supplement your energy needs when it isn’t sunny.
Reach out to companies like Blue Raven Solar to learn what installing solar means and what you can expect. Most people will get a return on their investment in 10 years or sooner, so it’s an excellent investment for long-term homeowners.
Don’t Wait to Make Energy-Efficient Home Improvements
With power rates rising and the environment changing because of climate change, it’s no surprise that you want to make a few home upgrades. Using less energy means you put less strain on the world and reduce your utility bills simultaneously.
However, it’s not always easy to understand what home improvements to make that will help you be more energy efficient. Now that you’ve read the guide above, you should understand which improvements make the most situation for your unique situation.
Did you find this post helpful and want more tips for making other easy home upgrades? Read more posts on the blog to find the information you need.
