Top Tips For An Energy Efficient Home

There is never a bad time to take steps in making your house and home a friendlier place for the environment. Not only is an energy efficient home better for your bank balance, but it also helps preserve the environment. There are many great reasons to invest in an energy efficient home and here are some of the best ways to care for the environment effortlessly.

Heating Off The Grid

The first thing to prioritize when considering energy efficiency is taking the energy from a reusable source. Fortunately, there are plenty of sustainable sources of energy right outside your home. These energy sources will incur an initial charge to tap into initially, but the long term investment is worth it, and there is peace of mind in being independent, especially in times of mains power cuts or shortages.

Solar Power

The sun is a pretty much limitless energy supply, so much so that it helps plants grow. Use solar panels to harness the sunshine that bathes your roof naturally during the day to take some of your power off the grid. These can be used to power water heaters which can get pricey, especially in winter.

Geothermal Energy

If you are lucky enough to live near a source of subterranean hot water, then you can get that pumped straight into your home. Heating your home with the local hot water instead of using coal power uses hot water that would have flowed up and out of the ground anyway.

Windows, Doors and Minimizing Airflow

During winter, energy efficient homes trap heat inside and don't heat up the cold weather outside. Here are some tips to maximize the amount of heat that stays where it should be, inside your house.

Close the curtains at night as a simple measure to prevent energy from escaping. To prevent heat from further escaping, but airtight blinds that are useful in winter and double as blackout blinds as a handy bonus. If there are noticeable drafts then invest in sealed windows that don’t let air flow through the gaps, double glazing is also a good option for insulation.

In warm weather, use light colored curtains that reflect the get away from the window and keep the inside cool. Install awnings on south and west facing windows to prevent direct sunlight from heating your house.

Doors can hang loosely in their frames after years of use and let air flow through. If you are feeling gusts, then consider a cheap draft excluder as a quick fix. This could be a rolled up towel or a bean bag, otherwise, there are more specialized draft excluders out there. Otherwise, consider reframing or rehanging your door.

Efficient Home Appliances and Electronics

There are some quick ways to increase your energy efficiency as well as some longer-term solutions on how to save money with your appliances. Using these electronic items less frequently is the most simple way to be more energy efficient, so turn off the lights when you leave a room and wait until the laundry basket is full before putting a load in the washing machine for a quick fix.

When doing laundry, use cold wash and cold-water detergents where possible and make use of the eco settings. Also, hang clothes to dry if possible. If you need to use the tumble dryer, then use a shorter timer and put the clothes on for a second run instead of one long run to shorten the total electricity used.

In your kitchen, use a fridge freezer that has a top-mounted freezer for the best eco settings. This is because the main power guzzler on a fridge is the compressor and it generates a lot of heat and needs to be at the bottom of the cooling unit, so it is easier to cool the freezer when it is further away from this heat source. For your dishwasher, scrape your plates clean but don't rinse them for the least energy usage.

These are some simple and more-involved ways to boost your home efficiency. If you are feeling inspired from this article, then consider adding to your ideas base with these ideas on how to save money with better home energy efficiency.