For most North Americans, homeownership is a personal dream as well as a smart investment — but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with challenges. Maintaining a home and running a household is a huge responsibility, and between property taxes, routine repairs, landscaping, and regular power bills, it is also a financial balancing act. Fortunately, as a homeowner you have the power to make smart changes that can save money, and one of the most important ways you can do so is by improving the energy efficiency of your home.
While many homeowners view energy efficiency as a long-term goal that involves major projects like replacing insulation, it is possible to get started with smaller changes. Here are just a few affordable ways you can make your house more energy efficient without undertaking a major renovation:
Install A Programmable Thermostat
Being energy efficient does not have to mean doing without amenities or being uncomfortable in your home; the first thing you should do when trying to cut down on your energy consumption is target areas where energy is being wasted outright. Older thermostats are designed to deliver a steady amount of heat or air conditioning, but if you spend most of your day out of the house, it doesn’t make sense to heat a house with no one in it.
Programmable thermostats allow you to customize how your home is heated. You can program the temperature to drop during the day and come on the late afternoon so you return to a nice warm home, and you can also program it to reduce the heat at night when it isn’t needed as much.
Replace Old Windows And Doors
As they age, fluctuations in temperature cause windows and doors to slowly shift and warp in their frames, creating gaps where cold air can get in and energy can escape into the outdoors. One of the biggest single ways you can upgrade your home is by installing new, energy efficient windows and doors that are designed to keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
As more North Americans have become conscious of how much money can be saved by creating a more efficient home, new businesses have sprung up to respond to this market niche by focussing on installing efficient fixtures. Companies like EcoTech Windows & Doors specialize in high quality vinyl windows and energy saving entrance and patio doors, and provide expert installation to ensure they operate as efficiently as possible.
Install Low-Flow Showerheads
A lot of energy goes into heating up water, which means that every minute you spend in that nice warm shower is costing you money. Installing low-flow showerheads is a great solution if you want to save energy but you don’t want to have to ration your hot water. Low-flow shower heads can cut water consumption by almost half, which means you can shower for longer without worrying about how it will impact your energy bill.
For all of the headaches that sometimes come with it, homeownership can be deeply rewarding. Being able to improve and change your property as you see fit gives you the freedom to make important upgrades that can make your home more efficient and environmentally friendly, and the payoff isn’t just lower energy bills — it is also a more comfortable, stylish, and modern home. Installing a programmable thermostat and low-flow showerheads and replacing poorly insulated windows and doors are great ways to cut down on your energy use without having to reduce your standard of living, and they are also guaranteed to increase the value of your home in the long run.
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