Having an energy-efficient home is more topical and important than ever. Besides the primary importance of helping lower your footprint on the environment, having an energy-efficient home can help reduce the cost of utility bills, improve the comfort of your home, and even increase the value of your home.
Many modern homebuyers are on the market for an eco-friendlier home, and thus making some green changes can help to increase its resale value, especially when you find a top real estate agent to help you sell your home.
If you’re considering making some eco-friendly changes to your home, here are four great ideas to help get you started.
Top 4 Ways To Create An Energy-Efficient Household
1. Change your Lighting
Traditional and outdated lightbulbs are often a large drain on energy and electricity. Energy efficient bulbs however are not only cheap, but often last longer, and shine brighter than their traditional counterparts.
Compact fluorescents, for example, use less than two-thirds the electricity that a traditional bulb uses, and last roughly ten times as long. If you’re concerned about the harshness of the fluorescent lighting, many of these bulbs now come with dimmable versions.
2. Upgrading Windows
Outdated and drafty windows are one of the leading causes of cold air escaping a home during summer, and heat seeping out during the winter.
Updating your windows to more modern and insulated ones, such as those with two panes or low-emissivity coatings, has been said to make noticeable drops in monthly energy bills, as HVAC systems are not working as hard to keep temperatures steady.
3. Upgrading Older Appliances
If your home is still using long-outdated appliances, chances are they are putting a heavy strain on your home’s carbon footprint. For example, today’s freezers are estimated to be a whopping 63% or more energy efficient than a model from the 80s.
Modern washers and dryers meanwhile are reportedly double the efficiency of their older counterparts. If you are considering modern washers and dryers, it is good to note that front-loading washing machines often use less water, and dry clothing faster than other models.
When it comes to maintaining your fridge and freezers, it’s helpful to leave a minimum of one inch of space on all sides to help with cooling circulation and prevent potential ice buildup, thus requiring the system to work harder.
4. Upgrading the HVAC
While not the cheapest item on the list to renew, outdated HVAC systems can be one of the heaviest hitters on a monthly energy bill. Modern HVAC systems are anywhere between 30-50% more energy efficient than their models from a few decades ago, and tempura conditions with fare more ease.
When choosing a new HVAC system, be sure to choose one with a high energy star rating, as well as make sure you are selecting one that can adequality run in a home of your size without having to run on overdrive.
If possible, installing a system that can individually tempura-control rooms is optimal, allowing you to save energy on often unused rooms such as guest bedrooms and spare bathrooms when not in use. You can use an electricity bill calculator to know the cost of running your electric devices at home.
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