As homeowners, we are always looking for ways to decrease our energy usage and utility bills. Aside from rent or mortgage payments, utility bills are typically the most expensive house-related bill paid every month. Sometimes utility bills become so high that homeowners try to cut usage of lights, water, and air conditioning systems to mitigate the higher costs of living.
However, limiting home energy use is a reactive response that may not be a practical or sustainable option. Proactive measures can be taken to make your home more energy-efficient, possibly reducing your utility costs significantly while increasing your enjoyment of your home. Fortunately, through some attention to design and innovative systems, you can improve the energy efficiency of your home without emptying your wallet or sacrificing your quality of life.
Install Ceiling Fans
Indoor air circulation is essential year-round, and by circulating air, ceiling fans help keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. In the warmer months, ceiling fans pull cool air up and distribute it around your home. As indoor heat rises towards the higher spaces in your roos in cooler temperatures, the fan’s rotating direction can be reversed to push the heat near the ceiling downward throughout your rooms.
Ceiling fans are cost-effective alternatives to running your HVAC system all the time, significantly reducing your energy costs and creating a comfortable indoor temperature at the same time.
Replace Flooring With More Energy-Efficient Options
While many of the popular flooring products used in homes today are beautiful, they may not be the most energy-efficient option. Hardwood and tile flooring may be durable and easy to keep clean; they don’t provide any type of insulation to help you regulate your indoor air temperature.
Carpets and rugs hold heat during the winter months, keeping your floors toasty longer than bare flooring. Consider placing wall-to-wall carpet in bedrooms and dens and area rugs throughout the house to create a more balanced environment. You may also use cork or bamboo flooring as more energy-efficient alternatives to traditional wood and tile.
Take Control Of Your Utilities With Alternative Energy Sources
Fortunately for homeowners, renewable energy sources have created alternatives to traditional electric company dependency. Electric companies generate electricity from non-renewable resources and pass the high costs of this process on to their customers.
Renewable energy resources such as sun, wind, and water offer cleaner and more affordable means of powering all of your home’s systems without high utility bills. One of the most accessible methods of producing renewable energy for residences and commercial buildings is using solar panel systems. Adding solar panels to your home can, in many cases, free you from dependency on non-renewable energy and the high utility bills in the process.
Comments