Energy efficiency is something that all homeowners grapple with. After all, everyone wants to save money on bills and everybody wants to make sure that they are getting the most for their money. However, many people don’t know just how many easy and affordable options are out there that can help make your home more energy-efficient. Luckily, this article has compiled the top 10. Keep reading for 10 easy ways to make your home more energy-efficient.
Insulation
Insulation is one of the most important factors in reducing your energy bill. It keeps hot and cold air from seeping out of your home, making it harder for cool or cold air to get in.
Insulation is very cost-effective and easy to install with products like fibreglass or polystyrene insulation, which you can simply spray on walls and ceilings. The best way to do this at home is to add insulation in the walls and ceiling, as well as in any exterior door. You can pick up a kit that can be easily installed over a weekend. The more insulated your home, the better it will be at staying warm and keeping heat inside during those colder months! There are also systems that will simply slide into place behind your existing drywall and requires just a few screws and no other tools whatsoever.
This isn’t the sort of thing you’re going to want to tackle yourself unless you have some experience with renovations because it’s not an easy job. Doing the installation on your own could even make things worse instead of better if you aren’t sure what you’re doing. In which case, hiring a contractor is probably the best bet for someone wanting to get this done fast and efficiently without any complications along the way.
Turn off appliances and equipment when not in use
People often forget that the little light under their fridge is always on, or they leave a phone charger on overnight without actually charging anything. It is very important to turn off lights and appliances when you aren’t using them because this will lead to a decrease in your energy bill by about 5%.
Use timers for lights, computers or other devices you don’t want to be left on around the house while you’re out or at night. This also reduces unnecessary power wastage, which can lead to an increase in your energy bill.
It’s also important to unplug electronics that aren’t being used; this includes TVs and chargers for phones and tablets! Leaving them plugged in uses unnecessary electricity and will lead to an increase in your energy bill.
If you have a lot of appliances or devices that use electricity, using a power strip is helpful as it allows you to cut off access to all those electronic devices at once with just one switch. This cuts back on wasted energy because everything is turned off at the same time when not in use, leading to less of an increase in your energy bill.
Solar panels
Solar panels are a little bit more expensive because you have to factor in installation costs, but they could be well worth it because not only do they help with energy efficiency, but you could actually earn money from the power company. Through a process called net metering, your solar panels can produce electricity that’s sent back to the grid, and this electricity will credit your account for future use. You can then draw from those credits that have been accumulated later when needed without being charged extra, which will lower your overall energy bill because you’re using less electricity than before.
The environmental benefits of solar panels are obvious; they use the free resource of the sun rather than burning fossil fuels to provide electricity or heating throughout your entire house. They can even last up to 25 years with minimal repairs.
There are also other benefits like lower maintenance costs, practically free electricity and tax credits when you install solar panels on your home! This will result in a huge decrease in your energy bill for the long-term, which means it’s an investment worth making if you think about what all your money is going towards when you simply continue to use regular energy sources.
Double glazing
Double glazed windows are a great way to improve the energy efficiency of your home because they consist of two panes that can help keep heat from escaping during those colder months. In addition, double glazing keeps noise outside so you won’t have to worry about being disturbed by neighbours or other people, along with keeping warmth inside the house.
It’s really important not to overlook this as a renovation option because it can be difficult and expensive for an inexperienced person to build their own set of double glazed windows. If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, look into purchasing them online as prices have been known to fluctuate depending upon location and time of year!
When it comes to double glazing, there are actually some amazing financial incentives and government-sponsored schemes to help you afford the costs. Check out Double Glazing Funding at https://www.doubleglazingfunding.co.uk/ and their funding calculator to see if you could save money on double glazing. That, coupled with its increased energy efficiency, means double glazing really is a no-brainer.
Composting
Composting is a great way to reduce your food waste and, in turn, your energy bill.
You can compost certain types of food waste at home including fruit and vegetable scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds, eggshells and even things like leftover rice! All of this added material will help improve the quality of soil in your garden, which will produce healthy plants.
For example, 1 kilogram of banana peels can produce up to 3 litres of liquid gold for your garden! This is known as compost tea and can help to reduce pests in your yard or vegetable patches. If you’re someone that regularly cooks at home then this is an excellent way to save money and energy.
Use energy-efficient lightbulbs
Switching to energy-efficient lightbulbs is seriously one of the easiest ways you can go green and save money at the same time. Instead of buying those old-fashioned incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs, you could save as much as 80% on your yearly lighting bill by switching to an LED bulb. These will last up to 20 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs and they’re significantly more energy efficient.
LED lightbulbs are a great alternative to standard lighting because the only downside is the initial cost, which will be quickly recovered as you save on your electricity bill long-term. The best part about using LED bulbs is that they last such a long time.
Turn down your thermostat
You should only be heating rooms that are in use, so it’s important to make sure you turn down your thermostat when the house is empty. It really is a good idea to adjust your heating schedule depending upon how many people are living in your home. Of course, if you have children, then it will take longer for them to come to terms with this!
A thermostat can help you save money on your energy bill because it will automatically turn the heating off when nobody is in a room, or more importantly, an empty house. You shouldn’t keep it above 20 degrees at any time, so you shouldn’t need to spend lots of money heating rooms that aren’t actually being used.
Change energy provider
It really pays off, in the long run, to find a new provider with better rates than what you’re currently paying due to lack of competition or because they haven’t raised their prices yet (depending on the circumstances). For example, you could save money on your electricity bill by picking a green deal provider like Bulb.
As well as this, if your energy supplier doesn’t provide smart meters, then it’s worth looking into whether or not you can switch to one that does! Smart metering technology allows customers to track their own energy usage down to the last kilowatt-hour. This will enable you to keep a close eye on your monthly consumption and make improvements where needed.
New boiler
If your boiler is more than 10-years-old, then it’s definitely time for a change! An older gas boiler will be much less efficient and, therefore, cost you more money.
You could consider switching to a gas combi-boiler which allows you to control the central heating from one single point, making it easy to turn off the heating when nobody is at home. Solar combi-boilers are also a good choice if you live somewhere with low gas prices because the installation process for this type of boiler is very straightforward, meaning it will be easy to add solar panels to your new boiler in the future.
Draft excluders
Do your doors and windows let in a lot of cold air? If so, then you might be able to save some money on your energy bill by investing in draft excluders or draught-proofing. You can easily get these from most DIY stores, but it’s just as easy to get them online too!
Draft proofing will help to keep your home warm and comfortable, as well as save you money on energy bills. It’s better for the environment, and it could save you as much as £100 a year compared with using standard insulation methods such as loft insulation or cavity wall insulation.
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