Heading into winter, energy bills tend to go up again unless you take preventative measures. Energy efficient systems are one of the best measures, and so have become more popular for that reason. What changes can you make to make your home more efficient? Here are a few of the best ways to lower that bill as well as the carbon footprint of your home.
Look for Modern Appliances
If by now you still have vintage appliances, you’re missing out on energy savings. Modern appliances have regulations which mean they have to only use a certain amount of energy. When purchasing, Energy Star says that you can look for the energy star label, which means it meets US requirements for energy efficiency. Though it requires money upfront, you’ll save a lot on your utility bill in the long run.
Upgrade Your Heating
Wintertime can be brutal on both your bills and your house’s systems. Sometimes a house’s normal functions can’t even work when things get overwhelmingly cold. According to Rabe Hardware, keeping your home warm prevents frozen and burst pipes. You need to keep your heat above about 55 F degrees if you are not in the home, and between 68-74 degrees when in the home. Installing a heating system that can measure temperature in each room can help you to use heat more accurately and only where it’s needed.
Insulate
For both summer and winter energy savings, adding extra insulation to your attic is helpful. For a 1200 sq ft home, insulating the attic with extra blown fiberglass insulation can be as low as a thousand dollars, but will make up that savings in a little less than a year. If you’ve interested in saving fifty or sixty dollars at minimum per energy bill, get several quotes for what kind of insulation you might need. According to Best Life, insulation is low cost, great for your home, and excellent for making sure that heat doesn’t escape through your attic into the outdoors. If you, like most, can’t afford to heat the outdoors (or just don’t want to) added insulation can be a huge benefit for what you need this winter.
Your home benefits from being as energy efficient as possible, and so do you. Make sure you’ve got enough insulation and that your appliances are upgraded, and look. Look into a new heating system, and make sure your pipes don’t freeze! Then you’ll be all set for even the coldest of winters!
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