Making your home more energy-efficient is a hot topic in the world today. Saving money on your monthly utility bills is a huge incentive, and it’s easier than you think. Here are four changes you should undergo at your home to make it more energy-efficient.
Heating System Upgrade
When you consider the heating system of your home, remember that most modern homes are built with forced-air heating. Furnaces take in cool air, heat it, and pump it through the vents so that warm air reaches each room. The more efficiently this process works, the less energy is wasted.
However, if your heater is older than ten years, it might be time to consider replacing it. Older furnaces waste more energy than newer models, so you could save up to $150 per year by switching over. According to HOP Energy, upgrading your heating system with oil should mean a budget-friendly option as well with oil costing about $2.50 less than natural gas and $1 less than propane per million Btu’s. This not only means you are saving money on heating costs, but also giving back to the environment.
Window Replacement
Window replacements are a great way to add efficiency to your home. Old windows can allow for a lot of heat loss, especially if they have been previously painted over. In fact, replacing worn-out windows could save you up to $250 per year in utility bills. Mobile home windows are especially inefficient, so if you live in a mobile home, consider getting new ones. The savings will be well worth the cost of admission.
Also, old windows can be drafty and let in air from outside, which means your heater or AC has to work harder to maintain a comfortable temperature. Replacing old windows with new ones will improve the comfort and efficiency of your home.
These days, you can get replacement windows that provide excellent energy efficiency, and they won’t need replacing for years and years after the first installation. The best material for window replacement is vinyl; it’s affordable, easy to maintain, and will provide energy efficiency. Insulated vinyl windows can keep cold air outside during the winter months and hot air inside during the summer months.
Insulating Your Home
According to the U.S Department of Energy (DOE), one of the easiest ways to save money on your utility bills is to properly insulate your home. If you live in a home that was built before the 1990s, you are probably losing up to 30 percent of your heated or cooled air through cracks in the insulation.
If you live in an older home, chances are your insulation needs updating. The best way to check how much insulation your home has is to do so in the attic. If you can easily see the floor joists, that means there isn’t enough insulation. If you discover this problem while looking into window replacements or heating system replacements, then all three changes will complement each other while saving you money on utility bills.
Doing some research on which insulation is right for your home can make all the difference in energy efficiency. Fiberglass insulation can be a good option, but it is susceptible to blowing around in the wind. The best material for insulation purposes is cellulose. It fills in spaces well and is easy to maintain.
Lighting Replacements
Another easy energy-efficient change you can make in your home is to replace old light bulbs with energy-saving bulbs. While this might not seem like much, using the right kind of lighting will reduce the amount of energy used by both your lights and air conditioning systems. This will help cut down on expensive utility bills over time.
If you don’t want to invest in an entirely new set of light fixtures, you can simply change the light bulbs. Compact fluorescent lights (CFL) are the most energy-efficient choice for your household lighting needs. These days, many CFLs come in shapes that resemble traditional incandescent bulbs, so you don’t have to sacrifice much aesthetic appeal.
Also, LED light bulbs have been gaining steam as far as energy-efficient options go, and they aren’t that expensive.
Making your home more energy-efficient is a great way to save money on your monthly utility bills. By making just a few simple changes, you can see a significant difference in how much you spend each month. In this article, four easy changes you can make to your home to improve its energy efficiency have been outlined. Window replacements, insulating your home, lighting replacements, and using the right kind of heating or cooling system are all easy ways to save money on your utility bills and can help reduce the amount of energy used by your home each month.
