25 easy-to-implement energy efficient home tips

Why is energy saving so important?

Energy saving became vital not only because people are willing to reduce their bills and save money, but also because more and more people become aware of the fact that it’s necessary to conserve planet’s natural resources so that they’ll last longer and provide for future generations, and also due to the fact that some (or most) energy producing technologies are not environmentally friendly, but actually are the major sources of pollution and significantly contribute to the unfortunate climate change.

Some people are skeptical about that matter, as they believe that only drastic changes like introducing eco-friendly retrievable energy instead of traditional energy production methods, replacing gas-powered cars for electric vehicles, upgrading our industry and making it less power-consuming and polluting, etc. Don’t get me wrong, those are undeniable goals the entire humanity should set for itself in order to save the planet, human and other species and just live in a healthier and better place than our environment is now due to our thoughtless and improvident behavior.

However, those great global goals are so difficult to reach at short notice, even though significant measures regarding this cause are made by many nations and producers every single day. Changing the way the entire mankind has been used to live and provide for itself for decades is not something that may be done overnight. Moreover, it will take us quite a while, maybe even decades, to solve the issue of environment pollution and energy conservation, that’s why it’s so important to start ASAP, bearing in mind that even small steps taken by one household, once they’re used as a positive example and implemented by others, contribute to the global cause greatly.

As leaders of the world’s nations and largest producers struggle to develop and put into practice energy conservation and eco-friendly technologies, you may start reducing the energy use in your household right now. Most of our water, gas and electricity consumption is quite excessive, that’s why it won’t take too long (and it won’t cost too much) to figure out how to cut those expenditures. And, you’ll notice quite a positive side effects that will make you want to stick to the energy saving lifestyle. Those are lower bills and extra money. Further steps (like installing solar panels to power the household) may require major investments, but they’ll pay off over and above in the long run.

That is why I’d like to present you some of the tips for energy efficient homes of different kinds: some of them will cost you nothing while some of them require investments and professional contractor’s or handyman’s help. That’s why you’ll be able to start easy and introduce eco-friendly and energy saving changes to your household gradually.

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Tips to improve energy efficiency of your home

Saving energy on heating and cooling

1. Turn down the room heating temperature on your thermostat by several degrees and just put on some clothes while staying at home. Wearing warm socks, a hoodie and yoga (sports) pants instead of shorts and T-shirts, you’ll feel warm and cozy and you won’t even think about making the room temperature a little bit higher.
2. Also, it’s possible to adjust the thermostat’s temperature levels for when no one is at home and during the nighttime. Turn it by 7 to 10 degrees lower when leaving home or going to bed and turn it back up to its normal setting when you need it the most. The same applies to cooling, with an exception that it’s possible to turn off conditioning when you leave the house. Only this step allows saving up to 10% of your average heating and cooling expenses, which take up from 40 to 50% of all utility bills.
3. If you have radiators, don’t block them with furniture or heavy curtains and drapers, so that the warm air spreads all over the room, but is not trapped in one of its parts.
4. Opt for energy efficient conditioning systems, fans and programmable thermostats to be able to control room temperature throughout the day without paying too much attention to that issue and ensure that you don’t spend more electricity on cooling and heating than you should. If you’re thinking about renovating your outdated heating and conditioning system, hire a professional HVAC technicians to estimate the suitable sizes of conditioning and furnace units, choose energy efficient ones and install them properly.
5. Use air conditioning along with fans in summer to keep the cool air circulating throughout the room to be able to keep your conditioner on higher settings and sometimes even off in summer. Obviously, it’s better not to run the fans in rooms you’re not using right now, as they don’t make the air cooler, but just make you feel fresh due to the feeling of the fresh air moving circulating around your body on a boiling-hot summer day.
6. Set up white blinds on your windows and keep them closed during hot summer days so that the house doesn’t heat up even more due to the sunlight. On the contrary, try to open your windows more in spring and autumn to let the warm air from outside get into the house.
7. Seal the windows to keep the warmth inside your house and eliminate the penetration of cold (or hot) air into the room through the smallest gaps between the window frames and the wall. Replacing windows is something to consider if you’re ready for significant long-term investments, so don’t hesitate to call a window contractor to do that job and make the most exposed to outdoor cool and heat area of your house completely protected.
8. Ensure proper house insulation. That’s probably the most efficient, but quite pricey method to save on heating and cooling and maintain normal room temperatures using less energy. Bear in mind, that wall insulation should be complemented by loft (attic) insulation, as only this way the entire house will be protected from the external influences and warm (cool) air won’t sneak through the secret openings. Although insulation is quite expensive, it’s still something that’s worth saving up for, especially if you live in the area where winters are cold. So, if that’s the project you’re ready to realize at your house, visit HireRush.com to hire highly qualified contractors, who provide their services in your local area, and call them directly from the site to figure out the details and costs of their work.
9. Lower the setting on the thermostat when using the fireplace.
10. Installing heated floor will reduce the heating expenditures as well.
11. Don’t hesitate to apply for government supporting programs if you want to go to town and install biomass stoves or solar panels at your house.

Saving water and electricity, consumed by household appliances and gadgets

1. Lower the pressure on your sinks’ faucets and showers. This way you’ll use less water while washing the dishes or taking a shower without even noticing.
2. Wash and dry full loads of laundry, setting up lower temperatures on the washing machine, as most of the electricity used by machine is spent to heat up water. Air dry as much clothes as you can not to run a dryer. You’ll not only save on electricity, but also get great-smelling and fresh clothes.
3. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth, shampooing and conditioning your hair and shaving (clean your razor in a plastic cup, filled with warm water).
4. Don’t pre-wash your dishes in sink before putting them into the dishwasher. Just scrape of the food leftovers and let the dishwasher do its own thing. This way you’ll save your time, water and even dish soap. Fill your sink or a bowl with water to wash up (if you still have to) instead of doing that under the running water.
5. Call a plumber to fix all pipes’ leaks and dripping taps not to waste water and ruin your plumbing system.
6. Run a bath to bathe your young kids at the same time not to shower them one by one, as you actually use more water that way.
7. Don’t forget to switch off the lights when leaving the room.
8. Replace light bulbs in the most used lights with energy saving ones and change the least used lights to less powerful ones.
9. Don’t keep your appliances on the waiting mode and computer on sleeping settings, especially when you’re not at home. Don’t leave the chargers in the outlets, as they still use electricity even when there’s no need to charge something. This also applies to the cases when you leave a fully charged smartphone or tabled plugged in.
10. Develop a habit to turn off household appliances from the power outlet right after you stop using them.
11. When purchasing a new piece of technology for your house or updating the ones you already have, opt for the products with the energy star label on them, as it’s an indicator of energy efficient items.
12. Keep all liquids covered when storing them in refrigerator, as higher moisture levels make it work more.
13. Plug in your electronics (like TV, TV boxes, gaming consoles, DVD players) into one power strip and pull just one thing from the power socket when you leave house or don’t use them.
14. Bear in mind, that laptop consumes less electricity than a desktop computer. Tablets and smartphones use even less, so it’s better to check your Twitter or Facebook (or visit our site, for instance) from your mobile devices.