These days, we all try to do everything we can to help make our world a much better place to live in. This also includes coming up with ways to help make our own homes more energy efficient. More specifically, doing away with items that use more energy and increase our energy bills in favor of items that not only help to save money on our energy bills ever month, but are also much better for the environment in the long run as well.
Here are five useful ways in which you can help to make your own home more energy efficient.
Energy efficiency rebates
There are all sorts of federal tax incentives available from the United States government that are designed specifically for energy efficiency upgrades to all existing homes. Some of the improvements included as part of these incentives include upgrades to HVAC units, small wind systems, solar hot water systems, geothermal heat pumps, insulation, windows, and more.
Update appliances
Consider replacing your older furnace with a unit that is more energy efficient. More specifically, if you have a unit that was built prior to 1992 and it also has a standing pilot, chances are it wastes upwards of 35% of the total mount of fuel that it uses and is also likely near the end of its life. Investing in a condensing furnace will be your best option to consider, as this unit has an annual efficiency of approximately 90% and wastes no more than 10% of natural gas. Even better is the fact that it can save you as much as 27% on your total heating bill.
Replace old windows
It’s also a good idea to consider replacing any old windows that you may have in your home as well with models that are more energy efficient. While replacing them can save you a great deal of money in the long run, you can end up saving even more if you replace windows that are single-glazed. Regardless, going with windows that are Energy-Star rated will not only be the most cost-effective, but it will also increase your overall comfort level in your home as well.
Upgrade insulation
If you live in an older home that doesn’t have a decent amount of insulation or windows, having a good amount of landscaping in the form of shade trees and shrubs can help to save you money on your energy bills. During the summer season, these will be able to block infrared radiation that would otherwise warm your home, while during the winter season, the warmth would be able to come through.
Change out your bulbs
If you currently have incandescent light bulbs anywhere in your home, consider replacing them with either LED bulbs or compact fluorescent lamps. CFLs are designed to save approximately ¾ of the total amount of electricity that is generally used by incandescent bulbs. In fact, one of these bulbs only costs $2 or $3; however, it lasts for a total of 10,000 hours and only uses around 27 watts to generate the same amount of light that a 100-watt incandescent bulb does. Throughout its entire lifetime, a CFL bulb uses only around $22 in total electricity costs.
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