Home Improvements to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

TIPS ON ENERGY CONSERVATION FOR HOMEOWNERS.

Energy conservation and efficiency have recently become popular with homeowners renovating their houses, reducing the utility bills and environmental pollution. Homeowners can now renovate their old homes to improve energy efficiency and create a conducive living atmosphere. Energy renovation strategies target the house envelope, appliances, and systems.

Homeowners should transform their homes into conservative energy systems with ease since the federal government offers tax incentives for such upgrades. Such improvements include insulation, heating upgrades, renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal systems.

Insulating attic and walls.

Homeowners can insulate the home envelope, such as the windows, attic, and walls. Effective insulation reduces heat loss during summer and winter, thereby cutting the energy required in order to cool or heat the house. You can hire contractors to install fiber-glass, foam, or cellulose on the walls to decrease heat loss via conduction. The contractor can use an infrared camera to inspect the integrity of the installation of the insulators.

Currently, three principal insulation types include roll-on, blown-in, and polyurethane foam. Trapping cold or hot air in the attic conserves energy, positively influencing the environment and decreasing bills.

Upgrade windows.

Homeowners should replace old windows with energy-conservative weather-stripping models. A windows upgrade would create a conducive environment and save on cost, especially with single-glazed models. Energy-star recommends replacing old windows because they decrease energy consumption by up to 12% and energy bills.

Good landscaping.

Planting trees around your house can decrease its energy needs drastically. Deciduous trees foliage block sun rays from warming the house or bouncing off nearby pavements during summer. Conversely, during winter, deciduous trees lose their leaves, allowing sun-rays penetration thereby, decreasing heating  needs of the house. However, you should consult an arborist to get trees that grow faster and provide extensive shading.

Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

CFLs last longer, and the electricity consumption is lower compared to the incandescent bulb. Homeowners should install CFLs to minimize their utility bills since a CFL bulb uses approximately 27 watts to generate light as an incandescent bulb using 100 watts. Additionally, CFLs last more than 10000 hours compared to 1000 hours for incandescent bulbs. Therefore, homeowners should target frequently used bulbs consuming more than 60 watts and replace them with CFLs.

Ensure that wiring and electrical circuits are up to date.

Builders of older homes couldn’t have foreseen the vast amount of electrical devices that we now use in our homes. Updated wiring and dedicated circuitry will help the items that run on electricity in your home run more safely and efficiently. Consult with an electrician to find out what can be done in your home.

Replace old appliances.

New appliances perform better than old ones and utilize less energy. Homeowners renovating their homes should look for appliances rated by Energy-star, such as refrigerators and dishwashers. Furthermore, homeowners should use new devices and unplug old appliances to decrease electricity consumption.

Efficient water heating.

Homeowners can boost the efficiency of hot water systems by following three key strategies. First, homeowners should decrease the heating temperature to a warm level. Second, insulation of water lines to prevent heat loss and rapid cool offs, and third, adopt low-flow shower fixtures. Experts recommend installing systems that use small pumps to distribute warm water to various outlets within the house.