Insulation
Insulation is one of the more important things on this list. Some older homes especially may have insulation that isn’t very well done or sometimes have no insulation at all. This is definitely something to consider when trying to make your home energy-efficient. Speak with a professional about what the best options are for your home.
Water-Saving Devices
Although having water-saving faucets are pretty common in a lot of newer homes, they aren’t often found in older homes unless personally updated. There are lots of options out there that will help with saving water and energy. Here are a few simple tips as well. Turn off the faucet more often while washing dishes, brushing teeth, and make sure you don’t soak your lawn in unneeded water as well. These little things go a long way.
Solar Panels
Solar panels are a great option to help conserve energy. In some cases it makes a lot of sense to install these in other situations it may not be possible. That said, if you are open to the idea many solar companies will gladly offer you a free estimate and sit down with you to discuss the benefits. Don’t let the upfront cost fool you, solar panels can be a great addition to your home and in many cases are a big plus during resale.
Landscaping
You might be wondering how landscaping is supposed to help with your home’s energy score, well the reality is that plants do make a huge difference. There are several ways you can use landscaping as an advantage. Here are a few examples.
- Planting drought tolerant plants: succulents are a great option to help with your water bill
- Having trees to incorporate shade to block the sun from beaming into your windows. This is also great during the winter when all the leaves fall and you can use the sun to help warm your home as well!
- Another reason why it’s great to have trees is using them as windbreakers which can make a huge difference to your heating bill
- Solar landscaping is another great addition, like solar powered path lighting, patio lights, or fairy lights.
Install LED light bulbs
According to many studies, LED light bulbs are one of the most energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly ways of lighting your home. There are several benefits of replacing your regular light bulbs with LED ones. One of the benefits is that they have a lifetime of up to 100,000 hours which means you are already saving yourself money by not having to purchase new ones as often. Another benefit is that they are clean and recyclable and do not have any toxic material of any kind. They have less risk for the environment and help reduce your carbon footprint!
Hopefully there are a few ideas above that seem worthwhile to you. Look into a few and make your life a bit more energy efficient, do your part for our environment as a whole, and maybe even improve the value of your home along the way.