English: A unique energy-efficient home built in place of a historic house in 2009 by BuildSense at 930 West Markham Avenue in Trinity Park, Durham, North Carolina. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Five Ways To Make Your Home More Energy Efficient….making your home more eco-friendly by going green not only protects the environment, but it also protects a homeowner’s bank account.
Being eco-sensitive and making green changes within the home will maintain the comfort of everyday life while adding an extra padding to the savings account:
Here are five ways to make your home more energy efficient and budget-friendly:
1. Indoor Recycled Insulation The inside of the home can easily become more eco-sensitive by being insulated with eco-friendly products. Most eco-friendly products are made with recycled fire retardant, so it can easily be added to an existing home without major reconstruction.
Not only is it recycled material, but it also retains warmth in the winter and cool air in the summer, which save homeowners from running their air conditioner or heater as often. Additionally, the use of metals within a home, like spiral stairs from Salter Spiral Staircases or metal furniture accents, help to retain a steady temperature within the home, which saves on electricity.
2. Windows Many older homes with the original windows are not nearly as energy efficient as they could be, for as windows age, they tend to let in outside air. By replacing the windows in the home with new, double paned, fiberglass windows, the home keeps cool air in during the warm months and cool air out in the cooler months.
3. Kitchen New kitchen appliances, specifically the dishwasher and refrigerator, are much more energy efficient than older appliances. Furthermore, different models, although they are already energy saving, have modes programmed into their features that offer more eco-friendly options that save water and electricity. Purchasing a water aerator for the kitchen faucet costs barely pennies yet saves a fortune on the water bill. The aerator pumps air into the water, so users don’t need to run the tap at full blast.
4. Solar Powered Lights For outdoor house lights or garden lights, use solar powered lanterns. Based on the amount of daylight, the lights turn on and off automatically. Not only are they extremely energy efficient, homeowners do not have to worry about turning the lights on and off.
Since more than 20 percent of a home’s energy use is estimated to be from light bulbs, anything a homeowner can do to cut down on light use, such as solar powered lamps and fluorescent light bulbs, will save money and energy. Additionally, solar powered panels can be used to power an entire home.
5. Laundry Room According to the US Department of Energy, a washing machine uses up to 90 percent of its energy to heat the water in one laundry load. By washing clothes in cold water with cold-water detergents, a homeowner can save up to 10 percent on their bill.
Taking the time to reduce your carbon footprint by making your home more energy efficient not only saves you money and energy, but it helps to preserve and protect a greener earth.