Eco-Friendly Home Improvements to Save Energy

Energy! That is why today people can easily live an eco-friendly life without having to think about extra expenses. There are a number of ways in which you can adopt energy efficient measures by making minor changes in your home and bringing some improvements that will decrease your energy consumption and at the same time help you save a lot on your energy bills. 

Be it energy efficient appliances, water conservation or weather proofing, there are several everyday measures which can be easily implemented for an easy and inexpensive green living.

“Last year was the year of change with all lightbulbs being replaced with LEDs, I have to note that the electricity bill was significantly lower and that was quite shocking. ” – Maria, energy conscious homeowner

Modernize the Lighting fixtures with LED bulbs 

LED lightbulbs are one of the simplest and safest ways of reducing electricity usage at an incredibly fast rate. The Department of Energy has the information that states that LED bulbs can use as much as 75% less energy than the regular incandescent bulbs and they can last for as long as 25 times longer. In fact, the carbon footprint of a single LED is less than a thousand pounds in its lifetime in contrast to an incandescent bulb. They do not need to be purchased as frequently as disposable ones, therefore saving time, money, and a journey to the store.

Install Programmable Thermostats

Space heating and cooling use is attributed to about 46% of the energy consumed in a standard household. A programmable thermostat is one that you can preset to turn on the AC when you are out of the house or while sleeping. 

As a result, it’s possible for programmable thermostats to save roughly $180 in energy bills since it controls heating and cooling systems and switches them on and off to suffice the necessary amount of cooling or heating. Use a programmable or smart thermostat to avoid having to manually change the temperatures in the house through the use of an application on a smartphone.

Weather strip is used to seal air leaks that may be found in various parts of a house.

We also have the phenomenon of infiltration which allows the conditioned air in homes to flow out of the houses thus causing significant losses in energy. Installing new weatherstripping around the doors and windows ensures that there are no cracks through which cold air can penetrate and, therefore, retain the preferred temperature throughout the rooms in the house. Sealing of gaps are quite cheap to make and give back greatly by reducing heat losses in buildings. According to the Department of Energy, the use of efficient weatherization materials in sealing air leaks can cut annual heating and cooling expenses anywhere between 10%-30%.

Update Attics, Floors, & Walls 

Insulation is another way of countering heat transfer and energy loss since it is properly installed. This means that when there are very hot summer months or extremely cold winter period, the costs are likely to be high because the insulation is inadequate and causes the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system to work for longer periods. You can achieve this by providing an extra layer of insulation in your attics, floors, walls, and ceilings to act as a buffer against the environment. While there are significant cost differences depending on the size of your house, the DoE approximates that it can cut heating and cooling costs by up to 15 percent through proper insulation.

Opting for energy conserving doors and windows.

Aluminum doors and windows perform more than restricting the penetration of outdoor air and noise into a room. While new door and window units are more efficient at limiting energy transfer due to additional insulating layers, multiple layers of glass, and more tightly fitted frames. 

Some models that received ENERGY STAR certification can achieve up to 12% less energy than the products with lower efficiency. Other advantages that can be a result of new doors and windows installation include sound insulation, UV protection, and longer lifetime of the upgraded doors and windows make new doors and windows an intelligent investment for any green home. 

The initial expenses may vary from $10,000 and more for full window replacemen and pay attention to the ultimate benefits in the shape of energy efficiency.

Install Low-Flow Fixtures

Sometimes even relatively minor changes to the faucets, showerheads, and other plumbing fixtures in the kitchen and baths can yield big improvements in water use in the home. Choose EPA WaterSense labeled models that are 20 percent more efficient than regular models in terms of water use while delivering similar performance. 

Placing showerheads, faucets, toilets and other fixtures that are of low flow helps reduce the consumption of water indoors as well as decrease the money spent on utilities. And since home plumbing constitutes about 4. 5% of the total energy related-emissions of greenhouse gases, water-saving fixtures are also an environmental boon.

Choose Energy Efficient Appliances 

In the case of heating water, cooling refrigerated food, operating the washer and dryer, about 20% of the electricity consumed in a home is by household appliances. Replacing old models of refrigerators, dishwashers, laundry machines, and other household items with ENERGY STAR certified ones lowers utility expenditures and pollution levels. In general, Energy Star certified appliances are between 10—50% more energy efficient. Moreover, federal tax credits, manufacturer’s rebates, and utility incentives are also there to recover a part of the start up expenses of replacement. There are appliances that are used frequently than others; concentrating on the frequently used appliances will help one achieve faster savings.

Install Solar Panels

The final clean energy available for generation is the solar power where you are able to capture power directly from the sun using solar panels. Home solar panel systems harness energy from natural sunlight to run lighting, appliances, heating/vents, among others, with no emission of greenhouse gases once installed. While solar panels require a significant cost to be paid initially, the cost has reduced by over 70 percent in the last decade. 

Moreover, federal tax credits may be used to offset up to 22% of the cost of installation, and a few electricity providers offer rebates too. Some homeowners have been able to do away with their home energy bills completely, while others have reduced the amount paid to minimal charges through solar panels depending on their electricity costs and the amount of sunlight available.

Grow Your Own Produce

Apart from upgrade options for boosting the homes efficiency there should be a focus on going green and saving green with things such as starting a vegetable garden. Generally, home grown fruits, vegetables and herbs are organic, and therefore helps minimize the commercial products that are transported via fuel powered vehicles across the world. 

Growing crops at home is also healthy since locally produced food is tastier as compared to food bought from stores, it also encourages less food waste if harvested appropriately and it also discourages the use of plastic packaging on food items. It is possible to begin with a single potted Herb or Tomato plant and feel the joys and the benefits of home gardening and its cost-savings.

The mother and father in the advertisement encourage their children to make the earth a better place and help them in doing so. 

One perfect summer empty nest family activity is to go green as a household before the kids go back to school. Involving everyone is easy when the kids are allowed to find out about energy efficient products or other new ways such as putting off lights. Let your mini environmentalist draw and color shopping bags and tend the home grown vegetable garden. Hence, with a little ingenuity, the concept of imparting knowledge of sustainability to the next generation can be quite an exciting and enjoyable process for all.

The only thing that one should avoid when trying to adopt more ‘green’ home-solutions is to put too much pressure on the budget. It is advised that attention should be first paid to those measures with a clear potential for saving money such as weather stripping for draughts, or the acquisition of an ENERGY STAR appliance whenever the existing stock wears out. Understand the concept of living sustainably as a process and not a single and immediate change. If these small measures are implemented in your home and performed systematically, your families can reduce the use of energy and prevent the destruction of the environment through wastage. The world and your purse will be grateful to you.