How Energy-Efficient Home Choices Can Save You Money

Making energy-efficient choices for your home results in more than a green home. It saves you money by using less energy which results in lower bills. A few small changes in any home can transform it into a fabulous green and efficient abode. Let’s consider the easiest ways to create a more energy-efficient home.

Reduce Maintenance Costs with New Appliances

Each year, the typical American homeowner spends about $1,105 on home maintenance. Updating aged appliances can help rectify this problem since new appliances require fewer repairs. They also feature the latest technology, helping them earn Energy Star ratings from the U.S. government, a designation that communicates to consumers which appliances offer the optimum energy efficiency.

Check the age of each major appliance in your home. Most appliances need replacing at or near their fifteenth year of use. Dishwashers, which wear out more quickly due to daily use, need replacing after nine years.

When you replace your home’s existing water heater, switch to a tankless design for improved energy efficiency. According to Forbes, tankless water heaters operate with 34% more energy efficiency than other water heater designs. A tankless water heater also provides endless hot water.

Install Low-E Windows and Solid Core Doors

Some energy-saving home improvement projects earn the homeowner money back at resale. Installing energy-efficient windows does just that, returning 73% of the cost of the windows. Choose double- or triple-pane windows for the best results. Add blackout curtains with insulation as window treatments to create a toasty environment in winter and a cooler one in summer.

Replace entry doors, too. Choose solid core doors and improve the weather stripping around them. Use a foam or plastic draft-blocking device on the bottom of the door.

Switch to LED Lighting

LED lighting provides a way to brighten a home that offers 75% more energy efficiency than regular incandescent bulbs. Some LED devices offer programmability, so the homeowner can set them to turn on and off at specific times. Other LED lights include motion sensors, so they only turn on when someone enters the room. Switching to this type of lighting provides the most effective way to begin transforming your home into a smart home.

Make Your Home a Smart Home

Converting an older home to a smart home doesn’t have to cost a lot. Purchase smart outlets or smart surge protectors to instantly turn any electrical outlet into a smart outlet. This lets you control any device plugged into that outlet as a smart device, turning it on or off with an app.

Install Low-flow Toilets

To reduce water use, install low-flow toilets, which use less water to swish waste down the drain. Motion sensor faucet taps and energy-saving shower heads can also lower energy costs. Consider installing a rain barrel to capture water to use for landscaping. Used with an aerator hose, it can automatically water the lawn from the rain barrel.

Install a Xeriscape

Rather than planting common grasses, choose a native grass that offers a drought-hearty alternative. Native plants that provide ground cover, such as clovers, work well, too. Some xeriscapes contain only sand and rock, but those xeriscapes represent desert landscapes. Those don’t represent the only xeriscapes, since the terrains and indigenous plants of each state differ.

Creating a More Energy-Efficient Home

Getting started transforming your home from its current state to a more energy-efficient one does not have to cost a lot or take much time. Start by installing smart home outlets and switching to LED lights. As appliances age, replace them with more energy-efficient models. Save big projects, like window upgrades, for remodeling time.