As gas, electricity, and water prices creep up, more and more homeowners are seeing the advantages that come with considering the environment when you make decisions about your household.
Are you interested in making your home more energy-efficient while saving money? You have a lot of options, from cheap to expensive, so read on to discover whether there are some big (or small) energy-saving opportunities that you're missing.
1. Get an energy audit
There are companies that can provide an energy audit to let you know the strengths and weaknesses of your home and systems. If you want a personalized rundown of everything you could do to and for your home to make it more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, an energy audit is a must.
2. Swap out your lightbulbs
LED bulbs are slightly more expensive but prices are rapidly dropping. They also last at least 10 times longer than incandescents and use less than 25% of the energy of an incandescent bulb.
LED options come in all shapes and sizes and can even be used to replace fluorescent tubes and Christmas lights.
3. Pay attention to the sun
There's a lot you can do to heat and cool your home without spending any money at all -- but you'll need to keep tabs on where the sun is in the sky.
- In the northern hemisphere, windows with southern exposure are going to get the most direct sunlight, so start with those.
- Make note of whether and when the sun shines into your home across every season, then adjust your habits (and your blinds) accordingly.
- For example, if the sun is shining directly into your house during the winter season, then you might be able to save some money on your heating bill by opening up all your curtains and blinds in the morning to allow the sun in. But if you're getting that direct sunlight in the dead heat of summer, then the opposite applies: Close your blinds and curtains in the morning to keep your house cool.
4. Weather-stripping your windows
Especially in some older houses, sometimes windows might not be entirely airtight -- meaning that you've got drafts from the outside sneaking hot or cold air into your home against your wishes.
A relatively cheap and easy fix is weatherstripping your windows to eliminate those drafts and ensure that what's outside doesn't creep inside and vice versa. It's as simple as a trip to a hardware store and a few minutes to weatherstrip each window back at the house.
5. Turn down your water heater
Hot water feels amazing in the shower ... but here's the thing: Your water heater is constantly working to keep its water consistently hot, and if you've got the gauge set at a high temperature, then "consistently hot" takes a lot of energy to maintain.
- Take a look at your water heater's settings and ask yourself if the hot water really needs to be as hot as you have it.
- Turning down the temperature ten or even five degrees can result in some surprising savings.
- An amazing alternative to tank style waters, on demand water heaters only heat water when needed and save energy. They may cost a little more up front but will pay for themselves in little time.
6. Collect rainwater
Depending on where you live, the weather might be an asset that you haven't tapped yet. You can't use rainwater for everything, or even very many things -- you can't drink it, and you won't want to use it to cook, wash dishes, or bathe with -- but if you keep a cistern of rainwater in your yard, then you'll always have a green way to water your grass and flowers in the spring and summer.
7. Swap out your showerheads
If you like to take long showers, this fix can be especially helpful: Change your current shower head for a low-flow version that uses less water. These often have several settings for pressure and spray so that you can customize your shower experience -- and you probably won't even notice that you're using significantly less water once you make the change.
8. Buy a smart thermostat
You don't necessarily need a "smart" thermostat for your home, but if you don't have a thermostat that you can adjust to change the temperature at different times of the day, then you should definitely invest in one.
For example, you could set your thermostat to lower the temperature of the house by 10 to 15 degrees when you're at work during the day, and instruct it to start bringing the temperature back up to "normal" an hour to 30 minutes before you arrive home. Many thermostats even let you designate temperature by days of the week, so if you know that you're almost never home on Saturday night or Sunday morning, you can adjust your temperature accordingly.
9. Air-seal (and maybe insulate) your attic and basement
You may know that heat rises, and that applies as much inside your house as it does in the world outside.
That means a drafty attic could result in a lot of energy spent keeping the house warm in the wintertime, and it won't do you any favors in the summer, either. An uninsulated basement can also let in cold air in the wintertime and out in the summertime. Check to see if your basement and attic are air-sealed and insulated. If not, consider investing in an upgrade.
10. Use a low flow toilet
If you live in an older home, it may be time to upgrade to a modern toilet that uses less water per flush. Dual flow toilet options also allow you to use a minimal amount of water or a little more when needed by choosing from 2 different buttons on the toilet, they are great on the environment and your wallet.
Deciding to make your home more energy-efficient can involve a simple move like turning off water to rarely used sinks and toilets, or as complicated and involved as replacing appliances and installing solar panels. Figure out your ideal level of investment and take things one step at a time -- before you know it, you'll have a green home that saves money without sacrificing comfort.
