Whether you’re trying to keep your energy costs down, do something good for the environment, or both, know that there are plenty of things that you can do to reduce your energy consumption. You could consciously decide to consume less energy, but it will be much easier if you make your home more energy-efficient. The good news is that you don’t have to make big expenses to turn your home into an energy-efficient one. Let’s take a look at a few ways that you could reduce your home’s energy consumption.
Add Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are one of the most energy-efficient ways to control the temperature inside a home. Not only can they be used to create a breeze during the hot summer months, but they can also be used to redistribute air inside the house if you’re heating it during the winter. And, if you’re using HVAC in the summer, ceiling fans will also redistribute cold air inside, reducing the amount of energy your HVAC system has to consume.
If this sounds like a good addition to your home and you’d like to have multiple fans installed to maximize their benefits, look at fan installers by BeattieHS. They can install fans in any room in the house in no time whether it’s a living room, basement, or attic. They’ll also look at your space and discuss ways that you could improve its energy efficiency even more.
Switch to LED Lights
Adding LED lights is probably the simple, cheapest way to instantly make your home more energy-efficient and cut your energy bills. It’s estimated that a house that switches from incandescent lights to LEDs could save as much as $225 per year in energy. Not only that, but LEDs last a lot longer than incandescent lights, which not only further reduces costs, but waste as well.
Go for a Tankless Water Heater
Most people assume that a water heater needs to have a tank, but it doesn’t. You also have tankless heaters that heat water straight from the tap using heating elements. This means that the heater will only deploy energy when you need hot water.
Traditional water heaters have to keep consuming energy around the clock to keep the water in the tank hot, even if you’re not using it. They also happen to be one of the most energy-hungry appliances in houses.
You should know, however, that tankless water heaters don’t work for everyone. You will first have to look at your household’s hot water needs. If you have more than three people in your household, a tankless water heater might not be the best choice as it can’t provide hot water for multiple applications at once. If you live alone or only live with your partner and maybe a child, then this could be a good option for you.
If you want to reduce the amount of energy you waste on water but don’t feel like or can’t make the switch to a tankless water heater, there are still things that you can do. One of them would be to shut down your heater when you know you won’t be using it for a long period, such as when going to work or school, for instance. You can then turn it back on a few hours before you need it again.
Another thing you could do is invest in a water heater timer. A timer will allow you to set times when you want the boiler to be on or off, taking away the hassle of having to do it yourself. You could also set it to turn the heat up just before you get back home to ensure that you have enough hot water.
Prevent Air Leaks
This is especially important if you’re living somewhere that gets very cold in the winter. Air leaks are your worst enemy if you’re trying to keep your house at a comfortable temperature and stay energy efficient. Just one air leak could put significant stress on your heating system and force it to work overtime to keep the house warm.
This is why you should check around doors and windows for leaks. You could do this by taking a candle or incense stick and placing it around doors and window frames. You’ll be able to tell by how the smoke of the flame moves if you’re dealing with leaks or not. It will then be up to you to seal these leaks or have a professional seal them for you.
These are all simple and inexpensive ways that you could make your home more energy-efficient. You could make a difference even by making only one of these modifications, so look at what you could do today and always look for new ways to improve.