This week, we are sharing a blog post from our friends at Modernize.com about how to make your home energy efficient. Check it out!
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Part of what makes our homes beautiful is the natural scenery surrounding them. The best part of reducing the carbon footprint of your home is not just that it saves money, but also that it contributes to preserving the vegetation and wildlife of your favorite nearby parks and scenic views. Reducing your home’s environmental impact doesn’t require an expensive or complex renovation. Several quick and inexpensive steps can make significant changes in your home energy use.
Home Energy Audit
The first step in making your home more energy efficient is understanding how you are using and where you are losing energy. Some utility companies offer free energy audits, in which they do a complete analysis of your energy use as well as testing where your home is leaking heat or air-conditioning. You can also do your own energy audit using online checklists.
Solar Outdoor Lighting
Whether you’re relaxing on your patio on a nice summer night or returning home from work in the dark of winter, lighting the area around your home can be both aesthetically appealing and increase your feeling of safety and security. Solar-powered lights soak up the sun during the day to light the exterior of your house at night.
Green Bathrooms
Older model toilets use more water than necessary. Drop a brick or rock in the tank to reduce the amount of water used per flush. Low-flow or high-efficiency shower heads use adjustable jets to give the same massage feel of traditional shower heads with far less water.
Blackout Curtains
Insulated blackout curtains reduce the amount of heat your windows lose in winter and the amount the sun heats your home interior in summer. Even better, they block light when you want to sleep late on weekend mornings.
Door Snakes
Especially in older homes, you can reduce energy leakage due to gaps under the door with a door snake consisting of a piece of foam insulation wrapped in fabric.
Window Films
Big windows brighten your house and let you enjoy local scenery, but they can also leak energy. Especially if you have older, less insulated windows, adding an inexpensive self-adhesive film over your window can reduce energy costs.
Electrical Outlet Insulation
Hold you had in from of an electrical outlet installed on an exterior wall and you will feel a draft. Invest a few dollars and under ten minutes to install foam outlet insulation behind your outlet covers. Add plastic outlet plug covers to unused outlets to block even more drafts.
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This post was written by Jane Blanchard. For more information, visit Modernize.com.
