Throughout the day, your home uses different levels of electricity. At night, you might need heat or air conditioning to stay cool, while you and your kids use smartphone chargers and home appliances during the day. Over time, your electricity bills can start to increase, placing a financial burden on your home. It’s time to take back your electric bill. Follow these four tips to improve your energy efficiency.
1. Improve Your Insulation
Your HVAC system can drive up your energy bills when the unit needs to run continuously because of poor insulation. Crips, cool air can seep out of your roof or through cracks in your home, creating damp areas that make your family uncomfortable. Look for a home inspector who can evaluate your insulation and make recommendations to improve it.
For example, the best way to insulate your home may be to upgrade your windows with new models that prevent air from leaking out while blocking the sun’s heat from coming in. If you live in Tennessee, a window replacement contractor like Knoxville energy efficient windows can make recommendations for the best brands based on your needs.
2. Look for “Energy Vampires”
Energy vampires are appliances that continue to draw power even when they aren’t being used. You may notice that your smartphone battery decreases even when you don’t use it because mobile apps keep running and draining the battery. The same occurs with other items in the house.
Look for Energy Star appliances that are proven to use less electricity and won’t use power even when they are off. In the world of technology, you can also look for ways to make your devices run more efficiently. By using Dropbox, Google Photos, your personal choice for the best way to store photos online instead of a hard drive, you can take the pressure off your computer and access the photos you want without needing to turn on a power-hungry device.
3. Consider Investing in Solar Power
If you want to sell your home in the near future, you can increase the value of your home and attract prospective buyers by investing in solar panels. As a real estate agent about homes in your area that “go solar” to see what kind of resale value the investment provides.
Even as a homeowner, you can benefit from investing in clean energy. You won’t be dependent on the electric company and won’t be affected when they raise their rates. There are also tax incentives for investing in this upgrade.
You will need to make sure your roof is in good condition before you add panels. Broken gutters and dry rot can create unsafe working conditions for contractors and damage the panels themselves. However, you would have to make the repairs before you sell the home anyway, so now is an ideal time to get started.
4. Install a Smart Thermostat
Smart thermostats can be controlled via mobile apps from your connected devices. This technology can help you save money by allowing you to control your home’s temperature wherever you are. This is a good idea if you rush out of the house for work and school each day, oftentimes leaving the heating or air conditioning on. With a smart thermostat, you can turn off your system remotely so your HVAC system doesn’t run all day. These devices also run on programmed schedules that are meant to increase your energy efficiency.
It doesn’t take much to improve your energy efficiency. You don’t need a new roof or low-energy light fixtures that don’t match your design style. Instead, conduct a home inspection with the help of a real estate agent with an energy-saving eye. Taking several small steps can add up to big savings on your monthly electric bill.