5 Energy-Efficient Home Improvements That Save You Money
These days, people are trying to save money in every way that they can. It probably won’t come as any surprise that one of the most effective ways to do that is to make some energy efficient home improvements that will help you spend less money on your energy bills every month. However, what might surprise you is that in a typical home, more than 40% of the cost is directly associated with issues related to energy inefficiency. That’s a great deal of money that you’re spending every month that you don’t necessarily have to spend. Imagine how much money you could save for other necessities if you could somehow reduce your utility bills by 40% every month. That’s precisely why it’s so important to incorporate energy-efficient home improvements that will save you money in the long run. In addition, making these improvements now can do more than just save you some money.
They can also make your home worth considerably more if you should decide to sell it at some point in the future. That fact alone can make the cost of carrying out these improvements more than worth it. When you consider the monthly savings that you’ll likely get, you’ll probably be wondering why you didn’t make these five home improvements a long time ago. Before we get started with the list, it’s also worth noting that you might want to inquire whether or not your energy provider offers any types of incentives that could lower your energy bills even more. A lot of times, they will offer bigger discounts if you make certain home improvements. Sometimes, they’ll even work with you in a direct manner. It certainly couldn’t hurt to ask. Now that we have all of the basics covered, here are five energy efficient home improvements that you can make to save you money and increase the value of your home, rated from number five to number one.
5. Change your appliances
One of the best ways that you can save money is to change your appliances from the older, more outdated appliances that use tons of energy to something that’s far more energy-efficient. That includes major appliances such as your refrigerator, washer and dryer but it also includes smaller appliances that most people tend to forget about. Think about how long your coffee maker or toaster has been there. If you haven’t purchased a new one recently, it’s probably time to discard the old one and purchase a new one that’s more energy-efficient. In addition, you should make sure that your smaller appliances are unplugged when they’re not actually in use. That’s because the majority of them tend to draw a lot more power than you would think, even when they’re not actually being used. Granted, it might cost you quite a bit of money to upgrade all of your appliances now, but you will reap the benefits later on.
4. Put down more insulation
If you have a poorly insulated home, it might save you a lot of money to add more insulation, especially if you have a lot of issues with insulation in your attic or basement. People tend to forget about these parts of the home, largely because they’re usually used for storage and little else. The truth is, you could be losing a lot of energy due to poor insulation and that’s driving up the cost of your energy bills each and every month. Putting down more insulation will also make your home worth more if and when you decide to sell it.
3. Upgrade your thermostat
Why do you need to install a new thermostat? It’s all about installing one that is programmable so that you can keep your house at a reasonable temperature, even when you’re not actually at home. Sure, you can do something similar with an older thermostat but it’s not as precise and that means that you’re spending money you don’t need to spend. It’s also worth noting that you can program most modern-day thermostats to operate at a higher or lower temperature, depending on the time of year, when you’re not home and then automatically switch to something more comfortable an hour or so before people start arriving home. This in turn helps you save on energy costs. That way, you’re not heating or cooling the entire house all day when no one is even there.
2. Seal your doors and windows
In some cases, you can feel the heat coming through around your doors and windows in the summer. The same is true with cold air in the winter. If that’s the case, it’s important to put additional insulation around all of your doors and windows in order to minimize that temperature exchange. In some cases, you would be better off simply replacing your doors and windows with something that is more energy efficient. This is another one that will save you a lot of money and add a great deal of value to your home over all.
1. Install ceiling fans
Last but not least, you can install ceiling fans. This is easy to do and in most cases, you can do it yourself. You’d be surprised how much less you’ll need to run your air conditioner in the summer if you install a ceiling fan in every room and make sure they’re actually turned on. They use a lot less energy and they effectively move air around so that your air conditioner doesn’t have to work as much or as hard, even on the hottest days. It’s a simple and economical thing that you can do to make a dramatic difference. If you incorporate all of these energy efficient home improvements, you’ll undoubtedly be surprised how much your energy bill decreases every month. The fact that it makes your home worth more overall is like icing on the cake. You may plan on living in your home for the rest of your life, but you still get all of the financial benefits of making these improvements now. If you ever do decide to sell, you can ask for a higher price (and get your asking price) because of the steps that you take right now.
