The world needs more people – ideally everyone – to step up and be more conscious of the energy we are using at homes. There are many different ways you can make your home a lot more energy-efficient and boost its performance, ensuring that you are doing what you can for the planet, but also, as an added bonus, saving yourself money at the same time. The sooner you start making changes in the way you use your home, the sooner you will start seeing the benefits. Here are some ideas to get you started.
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Insulate the attic
If you have an attic, have you checked the insulation? One of the biggest causes of energy inefficiency within a home is poorly installed, damaged, or completely missing insulation within the attic space.
It’s a relatively simple job to add more insulation where you need it, and if you’re not sure what to do then hiring a professional to do the job for you won’t cost too much either. Once it’s done, you’ll notice a difference in your heating bills very quickly, plus your home will be less suspectable to damp and cold.
Upgrade your boiler
Old boilers within homes aren’t just bad for the environment; they are costing you money, too. So, it’s a good idea to upgrade your boiler when you can to a much more energy-efficient model. This will cost you money, but over time you should see a return on that investment, and should you sell your home it will be easier to do so with a newer boiler. You can always opt for a pay monthly boiler if paying upfront is too much for you.
If you don’t have a boiler or a furnace, check out the alternative heating service Atlanta has to offer, for example, such as air conditioning. Your heating system should be serviced on a regular basis to make sure it is working in the most efficient way.
Hang thick curtains
It may sound like a simple solution, perhaps even too simple, but the fact is if you hang thick, heavy curtains or drapes in your home, you can help to make it more energy-efficient and it won’t cost you much (at least when compared to some other options). Plus, you can pick drapes that match the rest of your décor or go with your taste, making your home even more comfortable.
Having these thicker coverings over the windows means that heat will find it more difficult to escape your home in the winter, and it will keep your property cooler in the hotter months. Either way, you can have a more energy-efficient home and be more comfortable at the same time.
Watch your energy consumption
How much energy are you using each month, week, or even day? Which of your devices is causing the most energy to be used (and even wasted)? Not knowing this will make trying to boost your home’s performance extremely difficult.
To help, you should purchase an energy monitor that enables you to see exactly when and where you are using the most energy. In this way, you can work out just what is draining the energy in your home, and not only will it help you to cut back, reminding you that something has been left on or is being used at the wrong time, but it will also make you much more aware of energy usage in general.
If you find that you are using a lot of energy, don’t panic; there are things you can do to help reduce your energy consumption and the money you’re spending. Firstly, you can see if you can switch to a cheaper energy provider, and it could surprise you just how much the prices differ from company to company. On top of this, you can check that everything is switched off when it’s not being used, and this will drastically reduce your energy usage.
Save water
It’s not just electricity that is a drain on your energy consumption; if you want to boost your property’s performance, you should reduce the amount of water you are wasting too. Taking a shower instead of a bath is a good way to start with this, as showers (even longer ones) use a lot less water. You can even install a water-saving showerhead to help things along.
If you enjoy a very hot shower, you are probably using a lot more energy than you realize, but simply by turning the temperature down two or three degrees, that energy usage will drop, so it’s a good idea to try this. If you’re used to very hot showers it may take a little while to get used to the new way of washing, but soon enough you won’t even notice, and your bills will be lower.
Install double-pane windows
Double-pane windows, those with two layers of glass instead of just one, are much more energy-efficient, and if you don’t have them in your home, you should consider installing them. It’s true this option is going to be costly and disruptive, but the amount of heat you are losing through your older windows is incredible, and you’re using up much more energy than you really need to, costing you money and causing problems for the environment.
For a truly energy efficient house, you need to keep the heat in during winter and out during summer, and this is exactly what the double pane windows will do for you. In some cases, you can even find special grants that will help you cover the cost of these windows, since they are such an important part of energy saving.
Consider solar panels
You don’t have to live in a hot area for solar panels to work; they don’t actually use heat, but instead, use the UV rays from the sun for power. Therefore, any house should be able to have solar panels installed and gain energy from this method rather than more costly, more environmentally damaging sources of power.
It’s best to check out the rules and regulations of your state before you begin any work, as there are different guidelines in each place, but in general, this work will be looked on favorably, and it’s a truly wonderful way to boost your home’s performance.
