Tips to Lower Your Home Energy Costs

Spending too much on energy can put a huge drain on your monthly budget. Furthermore, every individual household needs to be more conscientious about energy usage amid the worsening climate crisis. While you’re making an effort to reduce your carbon footprint, you can also reduce your expenses. Some steps that you take to save energy may also even raise your home’s value. Here are a few effective ways to save energy in your home.

Get a Renewable Power Source

There’s no doubt that one of the most eco-friendly ways to conserve energy is to decrease your reliance on non-renewable power resources. Equipping your home with a solar power source can save you money on your monthly electric bill. If you get NVenergy solar power, you can supply renewable energy to some of your home’s biggest electrical needs such water heating or air conditioning, or you can go entirely solar. Having renewable energy can really come in handy when there’s a power failure on your local grid. It also makes homes more valuable and more appealing to homebuyers in a housing market that is more environmentally conscious than ever before.  

Replace Old Appliances

Large appliances that are ten or even twenty years old are surprisingly common in many households. The old adage about not fixing something that isn’t broken doesn’t really ring true about large appliances, especially when it comes to energy expenses. When older items struggle to operate efficiently, they consume more energy. For example, an old refrigerator may still work. However, it may have run a lot more continuously than a new refrigerator would. Furthermore, even if it is still running relatively well, it will still consume more power. An upgrade to ENERGY STAR appliances on the items that you use the most is likely to generate an appreciable difference in your monthly energy usage.

Use Your Appliances Judiciously

The way that you operate your appliances can play a big role in energy costs. When you use your fridge, try to avoid keeping the door open any longer than necessary. Doing dishes, you probably don’t need to set your dishwasher to do a heated dry. Simply opening the door and pulling out the racks will let your dishes dry naturally. Also, you may not really need to run your laundry on a heated cycle. Cold water will get your clothes just as clean so long as you use a good quality detergent product. Cold water cycles may also help preserve the texture and color of your clothes.

Get Your HVAC System Serviced

Failing to maintain HVAC systems can make them terribly inefficient. Without regular cleaning, the evaporator coil on an air handler will develop a heavy coating of dust, debris, and possibly even mold. It will be harder for air to pass through, and the air that comes out may not be as cool as it should be. Be sure to get your HVAC cleaned and calibrated regularly. Most systems need cleaning every year. Some homeowners choose to take care of this task themselves. However, cleaning a unit involves removing it and working with some very powerful chemicals. Most people prefer to have a professional take care of this challenging job.

Replace Your Air Filters Often

Much like a clogged-up air handler, dirty air filters will complicate cooling. Air will struggle to pass through a heavily soiled filter. It may take longer to lower your home’s temperature even though the air coming out is still fairly cold. Make it a point to replace filters every one to three months. Stocking up and buying several filters at a time may make frequent replacements more affordable.

Use a Programmable Thermostat

Another important way to get the most out of your HVAC system is to use a digital thermostat that you program. Scheduling changes in temperature settings that align with your schedule takes some of the effort out of temperature control. Some smart thermostats will enable you to adjust settings remotely. In addition, many of them have features that let you monitor your usage so you can identify when you’re using your system the most and what you can do to use it more conservatively.

Insulate Your Home

Any efforts to moderate your cooling costs could be made more difficult if you don’t have good insulation in your home. Warm air will permeate through your home’s exterior, and cool air will exit it quickly. The sun beating down on your rooftop on a hot and sunny day can raise the temperature inside substantially.Installing underground insulated pex in your home can help to offset the effects of the sun.

Some smart efforts to conserve energy won’t require you to do without the things you need. Instead, your efforts will help you continue to enjoy the comforts of home without overspending or causing unnecessary harm to the environment.