Guest Post: 6 Ways To Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Switch Off - save energyEveryone wants to save money. And most people want to do all they can for the environment. Making your home more energy efficient will help you spend less money on your utility bills, and limit your carbon footprint. Electricity prices are rising steadily. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in the last 5 years the cost of electricity has risen by 15 per cent. If you’re serious about reducing the amount of energy your home consumes, then contacting an energy comparisons service like Save Central can really save you money. But apart from that, here are 6 other ways you can make your home more energy efficient today.

1. Insulate your Home

Adding some new, or additional insulation to your home can make a big difference at the end of the billing cycle. You want to make sure that unwanted heat or cold does not pass into your home through your walls, ceilings and windows. Effective insulation slows the rate of heat transfer from inside to outside your home. And this will help keep your home cooler in summer, and warmer in winter. Check that the insulation in your walls and ceilings is enough and doing its job. If you currently have aluminum windows in your home, find out whether they have a thermal break. If they don’t, replace them with aluminum windows that do, or install vinyl frames instead.

 

2. Replace old Appliances

If you have an old washing machine, dishwasher or fridge in your house, odds are that it won’t be that energy efficient. Do some energy comparisons between older and newer appliances, and what you’ll usually find is that the new machines use far less energy. If funds permit, purchase some new appliances that rank high on energy efficiency. Look for the “Energy Star Certified” sticker on potential purchases. These new machines will save you lots of money each year in electricity bills. Also, to save some more money, you should monitor how much water you use every month. Installing a flow meter will help you do this.

 

3. Make the Switch

Switch from using incandescent to fluorescent light bulbs. Although they cost a little bit more to buy, florescent lights last 8 to 12 times longer than regular incandescent bulbs (the ones we normally use). This will save you significant amounts of money each year. Normal light bulbs contain a thin filament that electricity is fed into. As electricity runs through, the filament heats up, and to such an extent that the filament becomes white hot. This is where the light comes from.

 

4. Invest in Solar

Add some solar panels to your house and utilise the sun’s energy to power your home. Solar energy is a great resource that many people are using around the world for their electricity needs. You can use the energy generated from the sun to power home appliances, your shower, or even your pool. Hook up some solar panels and you’ll be using less on the grid electricity, and hence be spending less on energy.

 

5. Plant some Trees

If you’re looking for a natural way to help your home become more energy efficient, buy a tree or plant some seeds, and start watering. Large, deciduous trees are excellent in shielding your home from unwanted heat and helping your home stay as warm as possible in winter. In summer, they can provide your home with much welcome shade. In winter, the leaves of the tree will fall, and this will allow all the sunlight to pass through to your home

 

6. Change filter on your air conditioner

Make sure you clean your air-conditioner regularly to keep it running efficiently. Change the filter on the unit at least once a month (replace, or clean if you can). Dirty filters restrict the airflow in the unit and this results in a loss of energy. Also, look at the airflow of the unit into the room. Remove any furniture or other obstacles that may be restricting the cold air of the a/c from cooling your home.

 

Saving electricity is not rocket science. There are many things you can do to reduce the amount of electricity you consume, and the amount you need to pay for. Follow these tips and suggestions, and spend the money you save on electricity on better things in life.

Do you have any energy saving tip to share?

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Di Daniele

Hi, I’m Daniele! A human being from planet earth. I founded WP-OK.it and I like dancing Salsa, running, and living a location independent lifestyle.

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