Are you considering making your home more energy efficient, but don’t know where to start? The big picture of your home might offer you more savings and at less cost than you think.
Here are the most cost-effective efficiency upgrades homeowners can typically do to cut their energy consumption and slash their utility bill.Do an Energy AuditIt may sound counter-intuitive that an energy audit is cost-effective since an audit doesn’t result in any energy savings, at least not directly. But the truth is that spending a little bit of money (typically $100-$300) to figure out those key problem areas allows you to plan and goes a long way in saving you money down the line. Air Sealing A huge portion of your energy waste is the result of leaks and cracks in your walls, attics, ducts, and ceilings. This means that hot or cool air escapes too quickly causing you to freeze or boil and your furnace or air conditioner to work overtime. Air sealing is a simple, cheap, and highly effective way to improve the energy performance of your home.Insulation Insulation regulates indoor air temperature in much the same way as a blanket keeps you warm – it lines the your home’s building shell – the places immediately adjacent to outdoors and essentially prevents hot or cool air loss. This means your ceiling roof cavity and walls. Good insulation will change your temperature peaks and troughs by a few degrees. Whirly BirdsGet a whirly bird or two for your roof. They are very cheap, cost nothing to run and will slice another couple of degrees off your temperature peaks and troughs.Programmable ThermostatsMost people’s homes are unoccupied for 10-12 hours each day, particularly during the work week. So why leave your thermostat at the same setting all day long? A programmable thermostat can save you big time on your energy bill. All you have to do is set the temperature lower in the winter or higher in the summer at times when you’re not in the house.Passive solarThink about how quickly a room heats up when sun is shining through the window. This is called passive solar energy and you can tap into it by implementing key design features in and around your home. For warm climate dwellers, whose main goal is to keep the house cool, plant a tree in front of north-facing windows to block the sun’s rays. Conversely, cool-weather homeowners can remove trees blocking this passive solar light or add additional windows and skylights to naturally heat their homes.Image: Shutterstock