10 Ways To Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Who doesn’t want to save money in this economy?  Are you afraid when you open your utility bill each month of how high it is going to be?  Here are a few upgrades you can make in your home that won’t make you scared anymore!

  1. Power strips.  Anything in your home that has a remote, continuous display, or a charging cord are constantly consuming power.  You would be amazed if you realized how many items in your house are using power, and you don’t even realize it.  Instead of running around your home unplugging everything, use power strips.  Plug in the items that don’t need to be using power all the time.  Then, when you are done using the electronics, you can just flip the power strip off.
  2. Fireplaces.  If your fireplace is just for looks, look into investing in a chimney plug.  Warm air will stay in your home instead of rising up your chimney and out of your house.
  3. Door Sweeps.  I like this, because it is cheap and easy.  You would be amazed at the amount of heat you lose though the gap underneath your door.  The best thing is that there are so many different stops you can invest in.  You can attach a thin piece of rubber to the door base.  There are also door sweeps that can be screwed into your door and even self adhesive ones.  I’ve even seen holiday door sweeps!
  4. Water heater blanket.  If you want to make your hot water heater to run more efficient, buy a water heater blanket.  It keeps the water inside the tank warm, so your water heater will not have to work as hard.
  5. A New Furnace.  This may one of the more expensive ways to make your home more energy efficient.  However, in the the longrun, the savings will pay for itself!  If you have an older furnace, you definitely need to upgrade to an 80% or higher efficiencyfurnace.
  6. New Light Bulbs.  There are many options out there for upgrading your lights.  Some of the new bulbs can outlast your traditional ones by 10 times!  Some of the other light bulbs can save you up to 75% off your current lighting costs.   Your choices include CFLs, LEDs, and halogens.
  7. Programmable thermostats.  I can’t tell you how important a programmable thermostat is.  Right off the bat, you can save yourself 10% of your utility bill.  You set the temperature lower when you aren’t going to be home (and we even set ours lower at night to also save costs).  Why should your heating system be running when you aren’t even home?
  8. Clothesline.  One of the appliances in your home that uses the most energy is your clothes dryer.  Dryers use so much energy they can’t even be Energy Star certified.  There are indoor clotheslines you can use if you can’t hang your clothes outside.
  9. Insulation.  If you live in an older home, your home may not be insulated very well.  If not, you are losing heat and not even realizing it!  Many times, when you upgrade your insulation, you will find the energy savings will pay for the insulation!
  10. Plant vegetation like trees and shrubs around your home.   In the spring and summer, the leaves block the heat from your home.  In the winter, the bare branches help warm up your home.

There are many ways to make your home more energy efficient.  How are you making your home more energy efficient?  Did you buy a new furnace this year?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *