Energy Saving Ideas for Your Home
You could be wasting a large amount of energy in your home each year. There are many possible causes for energy loss. Fortunately, there are different solutions for each issue. Several ideas will help you to save energy in your home.
Install Sun Screens Over Windows
Sun screens can help to save energy on cooling costs. These screens fit over the windows in your home. They are designed to stop a large amount of the heat from the sun from getting inside. They are still open enough, however, to allow everyone to see out from inside the house. They also allow air to flow freely through the windows. Sun screens can keep your house much cooler during the day. (Installing honeycomb shades, also called cellular shades, can also help with home energy savings. They offer energy efficient insulation that will help lower your heating and cooling bills.)
Landscape the Property
Landscaping your property with hedges and trees can save energy during the year. Placing trees in the line of the sun can stop the roof, walls and windows from getting too hot. Hedges and bushes can block hot winds and cold breezes. Good landscaping can reduce the energy needed for cooling and heating.
Add Ceiling Fans
Running air conditioners or heaters can make up a significant amount of the energy used in the home. Ceiling fans can make the whole house more comfortable. The fans lower the temperature that everyone feels inside a room even though the air temperature might be higher. Ceiling fans use a fraction of the energy that central air systems use.
Use Occupancy Sensors for Lights
The lighting in your house accounts for a good percentage of the power used during the year. A way to cut down on this is to install occupancy sensors on the lights in key areas. Occupancy sensors detect when you enter an area and when you leave. They turn the lights in the house off automatically if there is no one in the room. This will lower energy use.
Schedule Appliance and Air Conditioner Maintenance
Important appliances like water heaters and air conditioners or central air systems require annual maintenance. A water heater could easily consume a third of the power in a home when not working correctly. Air conditioners can work inefficiently during the summer causing higher energy bills. Regular maintenance should be scheduled for appliances and air conditioners in the spring.
Seal Gaps and Holes along Exterior Walls
Air escaping or getting in through gaps, cracks and holes in exterior walls can be a major source of energy loss. You should use caulk, weather-stripping or other materials to seal these gaps in the walls and around windows and doors. This will help to conserve energy in the home during every season.
