Going Green and Energy Efficiency are the slogans painted across business advertising and environmental initiatives. While these efforts have been in the works for several decades now, the recent technological advancements and findings have made it easier than ever to implement these practices for businesses and homeowners alike.
There are plenty of reasons why you would want to create an energy efficient home, including:
- Tax incentives
- Reduced energy bills
- Environmentally responsible and resourceful
So, with these benefits and more, you may be wondering how you too can spice up your home to foster an energy efficient dwelling this fall.
6 Tips to Create an Energy Efficient Home
Creating an energy efficient home is easier than you may think. Some of the following tips are simple things that you can do to start saving today; while others may be better for a weekend project.
#1 Don’t Underestimate a Well Insulated Home
Insulation is important to keeping your home cool during the summer and warm during the winter without having to overuse your fans or exhaust your heating and cooling units.
There are a couple different ways you can insulate your home—insulation and/ or windows and doors.
For homes in the southern states that have attics rather than basements, check to see if both your attic and walls are properly insulated. If not, you may want to think about updating your home’s insulation.
Another way to better insulate your home and foster energy efficiency are by upgrading or replacing your windows and doors.
Bonus: Impact glass is made with 3 layers creating a thicker and more durable glass unit to provide better insulation for your home.
#2 Flex Your Green Thumb
Hurricanes and tropical storms can sometimes make homeowners a bit weary of planting shady shrubs and trees around their home, but having this greenery helps to keep your home warm during the winter and cool during the summer.
Even though their impact isn’t as great as using energy efficient appliances and impact glass windows and doors, planting greenery around your home does help to protect your home from harsh climate temperatures.
#3 Light bulbs
Light bulbs sure have come a long way since Edison’s incandescent light bulb. If you were to go into a hardware store or your local retailer and walk down the lighting aisle, you would most likely notice a wide variety of different lighting options for your home.
However, not all of those options are the best at keeping your energy bills low. Try swapping out your incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent lamps (CFL’s) which can last up to 12x longer.
#4 Change your air filters
Changing your air filters regularly is generally advised for cleaner recycled air. However, it’s also a simple way to increase your home’s energy efficiency.
Essentially, when you change the filter, your AC or heating unit doesn’t have to work as hard. It is similar to a dryer; if the filter is caked with lint, then you have to keep running your clothes through the dry cycle, and your clothes never seem to dry.
#5 Vampire Power
Halloween may be getting closer, but it doesn’t have to be the case for your energy bills. Vampire power goes by many names, including phantom electric, standby power etc.
This happens when you are consuming electric power via your electric appliances while they are plugged in and not in use or in standby mode.
So, you can remedy vampire power waste by unplugging appliances you’re not using, for example:
- Hair dryers
- Toasters
- Blenders
- Coffee pots
- Hair straighteners
- Curling irons
- Phone chargers
#6 Pre-set Your Thermostat
This is one of the simplest tips to an energy efficient home. All you have to do is pre-set your thermostat.
In other words, during the hours you aren’t home during the hot days, set your thermostat to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and during the cool days to 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
The closer your home’s indoor temperature is to the outdoor temperature, the less your cooling and heating costs will be.
What’s Your Favorite Energy Efficient Tip?
You know your home’s needs better than us, so try implementing a few of these energy efficient tips and tricks and see how much you start saving.
Send us a tweet at @easternarchsys or leave us a comment below with your favorite energy savings tip(s)! In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re also a fan of pictures so feel free to pin a pic of your favorite energy efficient shade tree, window or door and tag us.
