Today, there’s considerable discussion surrounding the concept of energy efficiency, but what exactly does it entail? What advantages does it offer? And how can you efficiently lower your home’s energy consumption? We’re here to provide clarity by presenting quick and straightforward methods for benefiting the environment and saving money by reducing household energy usage.
What Is An “Energy-Efficient” Home?
Energy efficiency means optimizing energy usage to accomplish tasks while minimizing waste, resulting in significant cost savings for your household. To enhance energy efficiency, it’s essential to develop awareness of energy consumption patterns, identify waste areas, and implement strategies for more effective and efficient energy use in daily activities. Here are some essential tips to assist your home or business conserve energy and improve efficiency.
Tips To Help Your Home Become More Energy-Efficient
Clean furnace/ clean filters and appliances
One of the easiest and most effective ways to help your home become more efficient is to clean your furnace filters and other large appliances. Cleaning out your filters will help your furnace and any larger appliances live a longer life while making it easier for them to function daily.
Test windows, doors, and ductwork for leaks
Another job that can be done quickly would be to check your windows, exterior doors, and internal ductwork throughout the house for leaks. Any leak will lower your home’s heating and cooling efficiency, so, for a small cost, you can work to seal up those areas.
Use ceiling fans
Ceiling fans are a great tool to help move air throughout the house. Air movement is also a great way to cool off a space or circulate warm air to all areas in your family’s home.
Use oven alternatives for cooking
Don’t want to heat the whole kitchen by using the oven? Plan meals using microwaves, crockpots, and air fryers to keep your home cool in the summer. Alternatively, plan meals to use the oven and stove in winter, warming your home in the process and making a more effective use of your home’s utilities.
Run large appliances at night
Large appliances can also add a lot of warmth to your home, so waiting to run your dishwasher and dryer until the evening, when everyone is settled in for the night, could be a good use of otherwise unused hours. This will keep a cool house from heating up in the summer and warming up a home on a winter’s night.
Energy audit
Many energy companies offer to come to your house and run a personalized energy audit. They will come out to inspect your home and its energy use. Afterward, they will provide a fairly comprehensive report on your home’s energy efficiency. They will also have many resources to help you lower your energy consumption.
Upgrade to energy-efficient appliances
If you have the means, a somewhat large cost item you can invest in to help your home become energy efficient would be… energy-efficient household appliances! Most appliances have an energy-efficient option, so someone wanting to do a massive appliance upgrade could start replacing appliances and make a large dent in their energy bill. Even if you can’t get all new appliances at once, replacing them with energy-efficient ones as they need to be replaced will be a step in the right direction.
Invest in insulation and/or solar
Another higher-cost option to make your home more energy efficient would be to invest in more insulation in your attic and walls or transfer your home to run on solar power. Not everyone can do this, but it may be more feasible than most think.
Call Integrity Roofing & Construction Today!
At Integrity Roofing & Construction, we’re passionate about helping homeowners enhance their home’s energy efficiency. Contact us today, and let us guide you through making your home more energy-efficient.