Becoming home energy efficient has never been more important than it is right now.
In 2022, Americans paid on average 14.3% more for their energy than in 2021, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. With energy costs soaring and people seeking to reduce their carbon footprint in the face of the worsening climate crisis, there are plenty of reasons why you should be looking to make your home more energy efficient.
Financial burdens are being felt more heavily than ever, so many will be looking to make these changes on a limited budget. Fortunately, there are a wide range of things you can do and practices you can adopt that will enable you to make your home more energy efficient and save money.
In this article, we look at our top tips and suggestions to save energy at home without breaking the bank.
Get a free home energy audit
Most energy providers offer free home energy audits to their clients. These audits examine energy usage in your home, identify ways in which energy is lost and look at past energy bills to help you understand how to make your home more efficient.
There may be things about your home that are draining your finances which you are not even aware of, so this is a great first step to take when improving your property’s energy performance.
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Switch to LED, more home energy efficient lighting
Replacing your old, incandescent lighting with modern LED lighting is a much more cost-effective step you can take to make your home energy efficient compared to something like replacing all your windows.
You can buy a 6-pack of LED lightbulbs from Amazon for $10. Not only will these bulbs last far longer than traditional bulbs (over 10,000 hours each) they will also use less energy when in use, reducing your energy consumption and saving you money replacing on replacing bulbs less regularly.
Draft-proof windows and doors to improve your home energy efficiency
A cheap alternative to replacing windows is draft-proofing. You can buy adhesive strips from most hardware stores and use them to cover gaps or cracks where drafts can enter. Draft-excluders can also be placed at the base of doors to stop warm air leaving a room. Placing a draft-excluder at the base of your front door is a good idea, as this is where a lot of heat can be lost in the home. This is one of the best ways to make your home energy efficient.
Aside from excluding drafts, draft-proofing will mean you won’t have to turn your heating on for as long, saving money on those pesky bills!
Invest in a smart meter to make your home more energy efficient
A smart meter is a device that tells you how much energy you are using. It can indicate which devices in your home are using more energy and when this energy is being consumed. They are relatively inexpensive and will help you understand when and where you are spending on energy.
They can also display the amount of money you are spending each day, which can help you visualize and manage your home energy more efficiently.
Unplug rarely used devices
It’s good to make a habit out of unplugging devices that you are not currently using, even if you don’t want to do so. Even when appliances are on standby, they’ll still be consuming electricity so unplugging them will avoid unnecessary energy wastage.
This is especially good practice when going away on vacation as there is no chance of your devices being used during this time.
Use cold water when possible
While you need hot water for activities such as showering and washing your hands, there are certain things that can be done with cold water instead. Washing clothes on a cooler temperature can be just as effective if you use good detergent, and especially if your clothes aren’t heavily stained. The same can be done with your dishwasher.
You’ll use less hot water and consequently your boiler won’t need to be used as frequently.
This article was written in collaboration with webuyanyhouse.co.uk a quick sale property company. If you are wondering ‘how to sell my house fast?’, head over to webuyanyhouse.co.uk to see how you could sell your home in as little as 3 days.
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