How to Make Your Home Energy Efficient

The energy that we use on a daily basis to light our homes and power our appliances is surely not free. In fact, that energy can be rather costly at times. With simple energy efficiency measures, we can all save ourselves hard earned money every month. From the type of light bulb you are using to planting trees in your yard, you can start reducing the cost of your monthly energy bill. Don’t pro-long any more, improve your homes energy efficiency

Purchasing Appliances
Most large appliances such as refrigerators, heat pumps, and clothes dryers all display a yellow and black energy guide label. These labels usually consist of the energy efficiency rating, the estimated annual energy consumption of the model, or the capacity of the particular model. The next time you are in the market for an appliance, be sure to review the label before you make a purchase.

Geothermal Heat Pumps
These pumps are set just a few feet underground and stay at a constant fifty to sixty degrees year round. They consist of buried pipes to access the earth’s warmth for indoor heating. As these heat pumps are much more expensive at first cost, they cost very little to maintain and operate. Geothermal heat pumps also offer an affordable alternative to rising fuel prices.

Lighting
Using compact fluorescent bulbs, you will use only one quarter of the electricity that a standard bulb and still give off the same amount of light. An eighteen watt fluorescent bulb is the equivalent to a seventy-five watt standard bulb. These bulbs do cost more money, however they will last much longer than a standard bulb so it is worth the investment.

Insulation
The most effective way for you to insulate your home would be to insulate the loft. Energy savings will depend on how thick the insulation is that you’re using. Allow the insulation to not be compressed so it may retain it’s natural thickness, otherwise it will reduce the insulation’s effectiveness.

Unplug Your Appliances
Believe it or not, your appliances may still be drawing power twenty-four hours a day even when they are turned off. This is called “standby power”. The simple solution to this is to unplug those appliances you may not be using and unplug what you can when you are away from home.

Plant Trees
As wild as it may seem, it really makes a lot of sense. Deciduous trees are ideal because they drop their leaves in the fall, which lets sunlight to your home in the winter, providing solar heat. Other trees such as burr oaks and maples are great also because they tend to grow faster. Trees to the east and west should be there as a screen against the morning and evening sun. To the south, trees should be fairly close to the home, but not any closer than one-half the mature-crown diameter. It’s also important to make sure you choose a tree that can withstand strong winds to help prevent damage to your home.

Windows
Windows lose and gain heat by conduction, convection, radiation, and air leakage. Simply put, a typical home loses over twenty-five percent of it’s heat or air through it’s windows. That’s literally like throwing money right out Energy efficient windows can save you much money in the long haul and they are very much worth the investment. Another great tip for windows is that south facing windows should have a properly designed roof overhang to avoid overheating in the summer.

Another option that you have is to contact your local power company. Many companies offer energy efficiency discounts to improve your home and they can refer you to local contractors in your area. Whatever you choose to do, you can’t go wrong with making your home more energy efficient. It can make your bills less expensive and give you a more pleasant living environment.