Want to keep your utility bills down and your home’s value up? Here are several simple tips regarding how to keep your home from wasting energy.
Do you ever feel like your home is picking your pocket? There are a thousand different ways it can cost you extra money without you ever knowing about it. Whether through poor insulation, electricity-draining appliances, bad ventilation, or something else, your home could be running up bills and squandering resources all day long. But there are steps you can take to curb all this waste and save yourself money in the long run. Here are a few simple tips for how to keep your home from wasting energy.
Get an Energy Audit
If you want to know why something doesn’t work, get an expert to look at it. An energy auditor will explore your home inside and outside and from top to bottom, looking for places where you’re losing energy and figuring out how you can stop it. The auditor will assess your insulation, look for cracks and drafts, and locate leaks and drainage issues. They’ll also see if your appliances are operating at peak efficiency. Then they’ll write up a report indicating where your home is weakest and strongest and what adjustments you should make. It may turn up some of the following issues, so get to work on fixing these.
Vampires!
No, not the bloodsucking ones. You welcomed these vampires into your home, and day by day, they’ve drained you of…electricity. You leave dozens of devices on for months. Telephones, computers, printers, DVD players, cable boxes, and other items are constantly sucking up electricity and giving nothing back except a blinking light or the incorrect time of day. Go around the house and unplug anything that doesn’t need to be plugged in. You can always bring them back to “life” later.
Watch Your Water Heater
A water heater needs replacement every 8 to 10 years, and older heaters aren’t as energy-efficient as today’s models. See if you need to replace your heater. If not, save energy by turning down the heat to 120 degrees. You’ll save up to 5 percent on your gas bills. In general, try to limit your time in the shower, as well, because it puts less stress on the heater and uses less energy.
Caulk It Up!
Here’s a good tip for how to keep your home from wastingenergy—heat and air conditioning are always looking for a way out. Even if you have sufficient insulation (or think you do), there are thousands of hidden cracks and holes in your homes where hot or cold air can escape. Some are easier to find, and they account for the larger share of escaped air. You’ll find them around the perimeters of your doors and windows: large cracks and gaps where old caulk and weatherstripping have flaked or pulled away. Remove the old, and replace it with a new layer of protection. Some drafts are obvious, but several sites recommend using a lit candle to locate others.