3 Ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
Not only is making your home more energy efficient good for the environment, it’s good for your family budget as well. If you’re ready to start making your home more eco-friendly, here are a few ideas to help you get going:
1. EnergyStar Products for your Bathroom – Hundreds of gallons of water can be saved with the installation of water-saving faucets, low-water toilets and energy efficient shower heads. It’s a fact, most of us take our water supply for granted. With a few changes within our homes, we can make a big difference. Find out what EnergyStar products are available when you’re updating your home.
2. Replace your Hot Water Heater – How long has it been since you took a look at your water heater? We tend to take these handy devices for granted and expect to be blessed with an endless supply of hot water whenever we want it. It just might be time to replace your old water heater with a newer version – one that can save you money and heat your water more efficiently. Could it be worth the investment? You bet!
3. Energy-Saving Windows – This is another area often ignored in our homes, but with the installation of energy-efficient windows, the savings in heating and cooling bills will pay for this improvement and provide years of energy efficiency in your home. Saving energy equals saving money that you can use for other things your family needs.
Making a difference in saving our environment also makes a big difference in the cost of living. With today’s economy, it’s not just smart, it’s a brilliant idea to spend a little money to save energy and money in the future.
DirectBuy has a wide selection of home improvement products to help you create the home environment you want for your family. With manufacturer-direct prices on brand-name products, you can choose quality and savings.
September 12th, 2008 at 11:55 am
thanks for the 3 tps. What do you think of programmable thermostats? What % of bill. I found a site that gave me a few tips and other ideas, but I am looking for more. http://www.waystosaveelectricity.com was an OK resource. Do you have any more advise or ways to save? Thanks
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:55 am
Thanks for writing. With the economy at a lull, and environmental concerns on the rise, saving energy, and dollars, is certainly at top of mind. Below are a few more ideas on saving energy, including info on thermostats:
• Dress for the indoors. The Department of Energy calculates that your energy bill will increases three percent for each degree you raise the thermostat. So, before you crank up the temperature, consider putting on some layers.
• Fake bake. Anyone who lives in the Midwest can tell you that humidity can make 70 degrees feel more like 78. If dressing in layers doesn’t keep you warm enough, dig out your humidifier and shoot for a relative humidity of 30 to 50 percent to heat up your space without creating condensation.
• Pay attention to your thermostat. Experts recommend setting the thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter, and dropping it down to 64 degrees when you are asleep or are away from the house for more than a couple hours. Or, take a look at installing a programmable thermostat, so you can focus your attention elsewhere.
• Earn your degrees. Or at least keep an eye on them. Several resources suggest keeping your refrigerators at 36 to 38 degrees, and your freezer at zero to five. And when you’re making dinner in the oven, keep the door closed. Each sneak peek you take could be costing you 25 degrees of heat loss, making your work even harder to get back up to your chosen baking temperature.
• Get solar smart. In the summer, keep windows shaded to keep heat out, and in the winter, reverse the process to let the sun’s warmth in.
•Insulate your windows. If you can’t afford to install energy efficient windows, try covering them with plastic. Window plastic can be found at most hardware stores and installed fairly quickly. By doing so, you could reduce your heat loss anywhere from 25 to 50 percent. Also, be sure to stop drafts around your windows and doors with caulking, sealant, and weather stripping – saving you an additional 10% in energy loss.
• Close up shop. If you’re like many homeowners, you have rooms that you don’t use – and you’re paying to heat and cool them. By closing the vents and door to one spare room in the house, the Department of Energy estimates you’ll cut your heating and cooling bills up to 20%.