There are a few good reasons why you may want to make your home more environmentally friendly. Perhaps you’re concerned about your ecological footprint and want to cut back on energy usage for the sake of the environment. Maybe you just want to save money on your energy bill each month. Whatever the case may be, make more eco-friendly home is easier now than ever before. If you’re looking for some quick inspiration, check out these eco-friendly upgrades you can make to your home.
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Add Insulation
A poorly insulated home can cause large amounts of heat to leak out, meaning you’ll have to turn the heat up and keep it on for longer. Additionally, during the summer, the heat from outside can penetrate a poorly insulated home and force you to keep the air conditioning perpetually running. This is a waste of energy that not only negatively impacts the environment, but can also end up multiplying your monthly energy bill.
However, you can often avoid wasting energy and improve your home by installing proper insulation. With effective insulation, you can more easily maintain the temperature in the house while at the same time keeping energy usage low.
Adding insulation below your floors and in your attic will likely have the most significant impact, as heat most frequently escapes through the floor and the ceiling. So, in order to prevent wasteful energy usage, go out and pick up some cellulose or fiberglass insulation and install it yourself—or even better, hire a professional insulation installer to do it for you.
Upgrade to an Energy-Efficient Roof
Perhaps a roof isn’t the first thing you think of when attempting to optimize your home’s energy efficiency, but it can actually make a huge difference. In addition to insulation, installing an energy-efficient roof can help keep your monthly energy bills low by preventing harsh weather from penetrating your home.
Efficient roofing made out of heat-resistant materials can cut down on the amount of heat that seeps inside of your home, which means you don’t have to keep the AC on full blast in order to stay cool. And, while some roofs are great for weathering storms and maintaining a home’s interior temperature in harsh conditions, some roofs serve other, more specific purposes as well.
For example, if you live in an area with strong winds, you could have a wind-resistant roof installed that’s built to stay sturdy and withstand damage in rough conditions. Or, if you live in an area that receives a decent amount of sunlight throughout the year, you might consider installing solar panels or even a vegetation-rich green roof. As you can see, there are all kinds of options when it comes to energy-efficient roofing—what’s best for you ultimately depends on the climate you live in and your own personal preferences.
Install Low-Flow Bathroom Appliances
Getting some low-flow appliances for your home’s bathroom can help you cut down on your water usage, benefiting both the environment and your bank account. Some old showerheads and toilets use far more water than is necessary to get the job done, thus increasing your household water consumption for no good reason. However, a simple upgrade can help to fix this problem.
Installing low-flow showerheads and toilets is a great, easy way to reduce your ecological footprint by eliminating unnecessary water consumption. In fact, just installing a low-flow toilet alone could potentially save around 2,000 gallons of water per year. So, consider switching out your old showerheads and toilets in favor to make more eco-friendly home option. The project is simple enough that you could probably take it on yourself, but of course a local plumber could always help you out as well.
Install Energy-Efficient Windows
Energy-efficient windows can keep your home better insulated, thus cutting down on your energy usage and helping you save on monthly energy bills. According to the Department of Energy, you can save up to $465 per year simply by replacing your older windows with newer, more energy-efficient ones. That’s a lot of money you can save just from making one easy upgrade!
In addition to providing your home with more insulation, there are a number of other benefits associated with installing energy-efficient windows. For instance, if you upgrade to large energy-efficient windows, you can make the sun work to your advantage. By letting in sunlight through large windows, you can warm up your home without having to use a heater. And when you let in more natural light, you don’t have to rely as much on lamps and overhead lighting, meaning you can potentially save big on your electric bill.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to completely overhaul your home in order to make more eco-friendly home. Try to start small and just take it one step at a time.
