Are you worried about the energy consumption in your home, the rising bills and its effects on the environment? Below are some tips that you can use to turn your house into a low energy unit.
Conduct an energy audit:
Perform a thorough check of your entire home and take notes of the location and type of insulation and lighting. You should also examine the state of the weather stripping on your doors and windows among many other things. While doing the home audit, the following tips should be considered.
Insulate the walls:
If you remove the wall switch plate and do not see anything inside, you probably do not have insulation. This is very important if you are aiming to create a low energy house. Insulation can be installed into the walls just behind the siding. You can opt for eco-friendly options when you want to get insulation.
Insulate the attic:
The attic should have at least one foot of insulation. This is simply because if it is not adequate, it paves way for heat loss, leading to bigger energy bills. You can add more insulation if you find it necessary. Do not forget to check for cracks and leaks between the eaves and side of the house.
Use low flow aerators or low flow faucets:
These can replace regular ones and are available for bathrooms, kitchens and showers. Low flow faucets and aerators are cost effective and can help you save a lot of money in terms of energy use and water bills.
Use shades and fans to keep cool during summer:
Instead of using air-conditioning when it’s hot, it is better to try and run fans that are placed near screened windows during early morning and at night. Draw blinds and curtains to block out the sun during the day and move the fans from the windows so that you are not drawing in hot air. If you must run the air conditioner, limit it to a few hours and maintain the temperature at a moderate level to minimize consumption.
Open blinds, shades, and curtains in winters:
At night, close them to prevent cold air from leaking in through the window edges and preventing loss of warm air. When the weather allows, hang your laundry outside to dry. If you have a screened porch, it can be done all year long. This will help you save a lot of money and energy on cloth dryers as they consume some electricity.
Insulate pipes and water heater in the house:
Although this is often ignored, it is important to turn off lights when they are not in use. It is the easiest way to save energy. Try and use natural light as much as possible so that you do not have to switch on artificial lights. Instead of bright bulbs, use CFL and LED lights.
When they are not in use, switch off all electronics at night
Set up at least one rain barrel water harvested through rainfall can be used to clean your pets, cars, hair and watering plants in your home garden.
Whenever possible, always purchase energy efficient appliances and ensure that your use of these appliances is also responsible and judicious. Some of the easiest ways you can do this is by avoiding preheating the oven or holding the refrigerator door open for extended time periods.
