“SAVE FOR YEARS TO COME”
by Contributor
(Sep. 27, 2019) — We are all guilty of wasting energy in our homes every day, often without realizing. Some of the largest energy wasters in the home are TVs on standby or doors left open in winter, letting the heat escape throughout the house causing you to turn up the heat as you still don’t feel warm. If you want to save money on your household bills, then the answer is simple: make your home more energy efficient.
Not only is this better for your bank account, but you can also help the environment one step at a time. This may mean making several changes around the home, and some of these changes may require up-front costs but will save you a lot of money over time. Here we look at the different ways (both big and small) you can make your home more energy efficient, so you have more cash for the fun stuff.
Replace Your Bulbs
Switching your light bulbs to a more energy efficient option won’t save you hundreds, but the dollars will add up. If you still have an old incandescent bulb, it’s time for an upgrade to an LED, CFL or halogen bulb so you can start saving energy and money. These old bulbs waste most of the energy on heat, which isn’t what we want from a bulb.
Not only will you save energy, but LED, CFL and halogen bulbs last longer too, meaning you will get more light for your money. On average, 5% of your total energy bill will be used on the lights, so saving where you can will make a difference. Replacing just the main bulbs that are used within your home can save you $45 every year. This is also the case when the holidays come around. Choosing to light up your home with festive LED lights rather than filament bulbs can help reduce the cost over the Thanksgiving and Christmas period while still giving your home that holiday feel.
Don’t Waste Water
The U.S EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) found that by making small changes to water usage, the average household could save a whopping $170 in a year. This just shows how much water we are all wasting each day in our homes. Being more observant with your water habits ensures that you save on your bills and don’t waste water for no reason. One of the most common reasons people waste water is leaving the tap running while brushing.
That’s a whole two minutes of running water lost; imagine how much water this would accumulate to in a year and you can see how you can save money. Choosing a shower over a bath can save on average 58 gallons of water each time per person. Lastly, choose to do full loads of washing rather than barely filling your machine, as this saves water and money and means more clothes are washed in one go. If you aren’t sure what the proper load is for your machine, check the manual.
Switch It Off!
If you aren’t using it, don’t leave it on stand-by; switch it off. One of the single biggest energy drainers in your home is unused chargers. We all have mobile phones and other devices and so many of us are guilty of doing this. You may even be shocked to find out 10% of your energy bills come from unused chargers. Don’t charge your phone overnight as once your mobile has full battery you are simply wasting energy. Simple switches such as these could save you a lot of cash.
Insulating Your Home
Insulating your home can save a lot of energy as this helps to reduce heat waste around the home. The most common place to get insulation is in your attic as this is where most heat is wasted. Insulation doesn’t just help with reducing your heating bills, though; it’s also great for keeping your home cool in the hot summer months. The climate you live in will determine how much insulation you may require, but over time this could save you from using as much energy to both heat and cool your home.
Investing in Solar Panels
Solar panels are a big money commitment at first, but they are certainly worth it. One of the most popular states to benefit from solar panels is California. The Bay Area especially is getting behind this big energy-saving trend. Solar panel installation in the Bay Area is on the rise due to solar tax credit sitting at 30%. If you are considering solar panels, solar costs in the Bay Area can have you making your money back within 5 years – after this, all you are doing is saving.
If you are looking for the best solar company in the Bay Area, then look no farther than Semper Solaris, found at https://www.sempersolaris.com/locations/bay-area/. These panels are produced and designed in America, the company offers excellent customer service, and there are even extra discounts for any police, military or firemen. With affordable prices, your home can save money and energy with the help of solar panels from the best solar installation in the Bay Area. Solar panels can also increase the value of your home if you wish to sell up in the future.
Low-Flow Shower
A low-flow shower can save even more money on your water bill. If you choose to take more showers than baths, you are already saving water. Installing a low-flow shower head can take your energy efficiency to a whole new level. If you and your family often shower, this is the best way to save money on your water bills and save water, too. Most shower heads run at 5 gallons of water each minute while a low-flow only runs at half this rate.
Sealing Windows
Sealing your windows doesn’t have to cost a lot and can easily be done yourself. Use a sealer to stop any air that may be leaking in and out of your window frames, as this means less energy is wasted when heating and cooling your home. If your heating and cooling system is anywhere near the windows, sealing them is even more important to reduce energy waste. If you notice drafts through your windows, it may even be worth installing weather stripping on the frames. This is one of the simplest and cheapest ways to save money and energy.
Purchase Energy Star Items
There are certain products that you should place inside your home if you want to be more energy efficient. Once you have purchased these products, you don’t need to think about anything as they save energy all on their own. Any Energy Star product, from stoves to washers to televisions, meets standards that are set specifically by the EPA. These appliances have been proven to use anything from 10%-50% less energy than if you were to buy a regular version of the same product. For something such as a fridge that is using energy all the time, switching to an Energy Star fridge could save you a lot of money.
This also helps you to stop wasting energy when you don’t have to. If we all made the switch to energy saving appliances, we could reduce greenhouse gases massively. It may not be that you can afford to switch up all of your appliances, but bear in mind the savings these appliances can bring when you are looking at replacing any of your current appliances.
Maintaining Your HVAC System
You should be regularly checking your HVAC system for signs of wear and tear or for a build-up of dirt. Having a system that doesn’t work properly could be racking up a bill a lot larger than it should be. If your HVAC system is full of dirt, the fan isn’t working properly, or the parts aren’t lubricated, your HVAC system could be working a lot harder than it needs to in order to heat and cool your home.
You should have a tune-up of your system each year and regularly check the filters. Regularly tuning up this system could also save your having to replace the furnace. Depending on the system you own, this could set you back anything from $2,000 – $8,000.
Installing a Storm Door
Even if you already have energy-efficient doors, a storm door can give you an extra layer of protection and can reduce the loss of energy from your home by a whopping 50%. Best of all, a storm door can cost less than $100 and last anywhere between 25 to 50 years. The protective coating or low-emissivity glass that is used within the storm door helps to keep the energy in your home and keep the weather out.
Consider an Energy Audit
If you still want to make your home more energy-efficient in order to save money, then it may be worth getting an energy audit. A professional auditor can inspect your home to find places where you could be saving energy and money. If you are stuck for what else to do or you’re serious about saving energy, this is the best way to find out anything and everything that can be done to your home.
They will also be able to identify and explain any areas that could be improved. When looking for an auditor, check whether they charge per hour or per square foot of your home. If you have a large home, it could cost a lot of money to have an energy audit by an auditor who charges per square foot.
It’s Not All About the Cash
While becoming more energy-efficient can save you money on your bills and ensure you use less energy, the world needs to become more energy-efficient to reduce the pollution of harmful gases into the air. We have the ways and means to be more energy-efficient and with so many new gadgets being made each day to help us take control of our bills, there has never been a better time to make your home energy efficient. If you care about the world we live in, making a small change can make a huge difference. If everyone decided to do even one thing from this list, billions of dollars could be saved each year in bills and less energy would be wasted.
In Conclusion
Even if you can only choose a few items from this list, finding ways to make your home energy efficient will prevent the waste of energy and the waste of money. Replacing the light bulbs in your home when they go out with LEDs could save you $45 a year. Thinking about how you are wasting water and changing these bad habits within your home could save another $170 a year. Charging your phone before bed and unplugging chargers that aren’t being used can cut your energy bills by 10%.
Insulation within your home can save you money when heating and cooling your home – the amount saved will depend on the size of your home and how much insulation is currently within your home. Solar panels are a great investment, and once you have earned your money back in savings you can continue to save for years to come. A low-flow shower is another simple trick to save on that water bill and sealing your windows will keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
When it becomes time for new appliances, consider Energy Star products as these are one of the easiest ways to continue to be energy efficient in your home. Take good care of your HVAC system and regularly change air filters to ensure it can work at full capacity without wasting energy. Installing a storm door is a simple way to stop 50% of energy from leaving your home.
Choosing to make your home more energy-efficient is better for your bank account and better for the world we live in. These changes can all be made over time and some of these changes can even add value to your home.