No matter where you live or how big your home is, it always pays to have an energy efficient home. In addition, when we say it pays, we really mean it – millions of dollars are wasted each year all because of poor energy use. People are paying money out of their hard-earned paycheck for no reason whatsoever! There are other benefits, too, such as doing your bit to ensure that you are not using up more of the earth’s resources than necessary. If you have never thought about your home’s energy use before, now’s the time to start thinking. Here are a few starting points to get you going.
Start on the Outside
Most of what you will do regarding energy in the home takes place inside the house, but this one actually starts on the outside. If you live out in the country and your home is exposed to the rays (versus city life, where, for the most part, buildings block the sun), you can make the most of free energy and stop wastage by using the power of the sun – and trees. How? By planting deciduous trees on the west side of your home. In the summer, your house will be kept cool because the leaves block the sun. In the winter, the trees – which now do not have their leaves – will let the sunrays through. Smart!
Keep the Energy Inside
If your house is insufficiently insulated, we are not going to tell you how much money you might have wasted over the years. It will only upset you. If your home is not insulated properly then now is the time to take care of it, because doing so will keep the heat inside your home during the winter. Windows are particularly guilty. If you need to replace an old draft window with a new one, find it at Jack’s Wholesale Windows; you will be cutting down on your energy bills at the same time. Also, make sure you have proper insulation in your attic, as this is where a lot of heat is lost.
Adopting House-Smart Policies
When you are in the home, it pays to be house-smart. However, this does not just happen – you need to think about it and then integrate your new house policies into the home. This can be simple things like making sure all electricals are turned off and unplugged when they’re not in use and limiting the length of showers. It is mostly common sense and actively thinking about the energy that you are using.
Replacing the Old Appliances
Even if you do adopt good practices inside the home, you might struggle to notice a drop in bill prices if your appliances are old and inefficient. The heavy-duty appliances like fridges and washing machines use a tremendous amount of energy, especially if they are old. If your technology is looking a little bit outdated, it might be time to look at investing in a new model. There will be an initial outlay of course, but they will pay for themselves over the course of time.
