There are a lot of ways to make your home more energy efficient. Some of them are obvious and have been around for years, like replacing your old light bulbs with LEDs. Others may be less common, like installing solar screens on your windows.
As per Bloomberg, electricity bills in America jumped the most since 1981, increasing by 15.8% from the same period one year back. The good news is that there are still plenty of simple changes you can make to improve your house’s efficiency without breaking the bank or hiring someone else to do it for you.
Solar Screens
Solar screens are a great way to help keep the sun out of your home in the summer and winter. They can reduce the temperature inside your home, which means lowering your heating costs in the winter and reducing the need to use an air conditioner in the summer. Solar screens block about 85% of UV rays that enter through windows.
Solar screen demand has seen a continuous rise in the residential sector. According to Allied Market Research, solar screen’s market worth is expected to reach 21,348 million USD by 2027, registering a continuous growth of 3.9% from 2020 to 2027.
Solar screens can also help reduce energy costs because they reduce glare on televisions and computer monitors, allowing you to turn down brightness settings without sacrificing viewing quality. Solar screens, like this, can be customized to suit your home requirement.
Weather Strips and Door Sweeps
Weather strips and door sweeps are a great way to keep cold air out of your home. They’re inexpensive, but they can make a huge difference in how comfortable you are in your home.
You can use weather stripping at the bottom of doors, especially exterior ones that open directly onto concrete or uncarpeted areas like porches or decks. This helps prevent drafts when those doors are opened and closed, which reduces the amount of heat that escapes through them.
Door sweeps help reduce drafts caused by air movement between rooms in an open floor plan, especially if there’s no space between walls and ceilings where conditioned air could be trapped between floors.
Also Read: How Can Heat Pump Installation Lower My Energy Bills?
Power Strips
Power strips are a simple, affordable way to make your home more energy efficient. Power strips allow you to turn off multiple devices at once, saving electricity and extending the life of your electronic devices.
When choosing a power strip, consider its wattage capacity (the maximum amount of power it can safely handle). Some power strips come with built-in surge protection and on/off switches, while others don’t offer these features.
Outdoor Water Sprinklers
If you have an outdoor water sprinkler system, replacing the old heads with new ones will reduce your water usage and lower your bill. This is because many older systems use excessive amounts of water unnecessarily. Newer technology allows for more efficient watering, meaning less waste and less money spent on the process.
It’s also important to remember that many people don’t realize that not all chemicals are good for the environment or their health. By using an automatic irrigation system instead of manually watering your plants by hand, you’ll be able to avoid harmful chemicals like pesticides to keep both yourself and the environment happy.
Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat is a device that will automatically adjust your air conditioning and heating settings based on the temperature, time of day, and other variables. To use one effectively, you’ll need to adjust it manually once or twice before setting up automatic changes so that you can tell when it’s working at its best.
The savings from using a programmable thermostat are significant. According to Energystar.gov, if you use one over a traditional model and change settings just three times per month during periods of peak energy usage, you could save up to 10% on your power bill each year, which adds up fast if your home has high electricity costs.
Have Your Home Professionally Insulated
If you have an older home, chances are it isn’t as energy efficient as it could be. One of the easiest ways to increase your house’s comfort level is by installing more insulation. According to Global Market Insights, the insulation market size crossed 49 billion USD in 2021 and is expected to see a CAGR of over 7% between 2011 and 2030.
There are three types of insulation: fiberglass batts, blown-in cellulose, and spray foam. Each has pros and cons, but all three can help keep heat inside a home during cooler months while minimizing heat loss in the summer months when temperatures increase dramatically.
When determining how much insulation you need, consider these factors:
- Size of your home
- Location (elevation)
- Climate zone (humid/cold)
Conclusion
At the end of the day, when it comes to home improvements, you need to do what makes sense for your situation. If a new water heater or insulation doesn’t make sense for your house, don’t spend money on it.
The key is to stay informed and try as many options as possible until you find something that works well in your home.