All it takes to build an energy-efficient home is the right knowledge, proper planning and some help from professionals.
Building an
energy-efficient home will save you money in the long run, allow you to cut
your energy usage in half, and improve your quality of life.
How to Make Your Home More Efficient
Before anything else, you should learn as much as you can about energy efficiency and how you can save money on it.
Reading articles or watching videos will help, but if you really want to get down to the nitty-gritty, talk to a home improvement contractor. They'll be able to tell you everything from how much it would cost and how long it would take to what the benefits are.
Whether you have
construction experience or not, you can make your home more energy efficient by
following these steps:
1. Get Rid of Old Windows
The easiest and most effective way to make your home more energy efficient is to replace all the old windows from your home. Older, single pane windows don't do a good job at stopping heat exchange, among other problems.
Replacing these with new
double pane (or even triple pane) windows will significantly reduce your energy
costs as the heat transfer across the window is greatly reduced.
2. Get A Smart Thermostat
A programmable thermostat that will automatically adjust the temperature of your home depending on how many people are present, what time it is and even the weather. This will significantly reduce your energy costs as it ‘learns’ your house and accommodates for factors like the sun or warns you if a window is open.
Don't forget to clean and
maintain your home's air filters. Make sure to change them out on a regular
basis or your furnace might struggle to keep up. This can lead to increased
energy usage.
3. Use Less Water
You can save a lot of money on water by fixing leaky pipes and running your faucets for only as long as it takes to get hot/cold water.
If you have a water heater or
a tankless hot water heater installed, you should be using that instead of
having a full-size tank in your house.
4. Use Less Electricity
The more energy efficient
your home is the less energy you'll use. If you have halogen light bulbs,
replace them with LED light bulbs. Turn equipment off at the wall whenever possible –
there are smart devices to help make this easier too.
5. Use The Right Appliances
It's important to use appliances that are as energy efficient as possible. Appliances like air conditioners, water heaters, and washing machines should always be certified.
New technology is generally
more energy efficient, so if you have appliances which are very old consider
whether it is worth replacing them with new energy efficient versions (you’ll
have to balance the energy saving against sending something to waste).
6. Install Solar Panels
Finally, if you have the money to do so, you can install solar panels in your home to further cut electricity costs.
Not only that, but it will help the environment since you'll be getting your energy directly from the sun.
With all this information
in mind, you're now well on your way to creating a home that uses significantly
less energy and overall costing you less money.
