How to Make Your Home Energy-Efficient

Making your home energy-efficient can save you money and help the environment. It’s not as difficult as it may sound – there are a few simple changes you can make to your habits that will significantly improve the way you use energy in your home.

Changing your light bulbs to LEDs is an easy way to save on your electricity bill. These bulbs last much longer and use less power than traditional incandescent lights.

Energy Star Appliances

If you want to make your home more energy-efficient, look for appliances that are certified as ENERGY STAR products. These appliances have been tested and verified to be more efficient than other models on the market, often exceeding minimum federal standards by a substantial amount.

In addition to savings on your utility bills, ENERGY STAR certified appliances also reduce your family’s impact on the environment. They help to lower your carbon footprint and reliance on dwindling fossil fuel resources, as well as water use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy Star appliances, which include refrigerators, freezers, washers and dryers, dishwashers, water heaters and air purifiers, usually cost more than conventional non-certified models, but they are almost always worth it. In fact, if you’re replacing an older appliance, the initial costs of an ENERGY STAR rated model will be paid back by saving you money over the life of the appliances.

Energy Star Materials

Energy Star materials help make your home more energy-efficient. They also reduce your carbon footprint.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started the Energy Star program in 1992 to encourage manufacturers to develop energy-saving innovations and lower their greenhouse gas emissions. It now covers more than 50 product categories, from home appliances to building materials.

Many Energy Star products are EPA-certified and can be identified by the blue Energy Star label. Several states and utilities offer tax incentives to encourage people to purchase Energy Star products.

Insulation helps keep the heat in and the cold out, allowing your heating system to run more efficiently. Using Energy Star insulation is a great way to save money on your energy bills, especially for older homes.

Whether you are building a new home or upgrading your existing one, consider Energy Star-certified insulation and windows. These upgrades can reduce your energy costs by as much as 12 percent nationwide.

Smart Thermostats

Smart thermostats are a great way to make your home more energy-efficient. They can reduce your energy bills by up to 10% simply by adjusting your heating and cooling schedules to lower your usage when you’re not at home or during periods of empty house time.

A smart thermostat learns your habits and uses this data to automatically adjust your home’s temperature when needed. This makes it much easier to shift your heating and cooling habits to be more efficient and save money on your monthly energy bill.

These devices can also help you to take advantage of demand response programs that reduce power use and thereby help support grid resiliency. This is particularly helpful if you live in an area where your local utility requires fossil fuel power plants to generate electricity during peak demand times.

When comparing different smart thermostat models, you’ll want to look at their features, ease of use and compatibility with your other smart home devices. Most of them offer mobile app control and some are also compatible with voice assistants like Apple HomeKit, Google Home or Amazon Alexa.

Air Sealing

Air sealing is one of the most important and easiest ways to make your home more energy-efficient. It reduces drafts and cold spots, which helps improve comfort, reduce heating costs and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

It also protects the structure from moisture and rot. In addition, reducing air leakage helps prevent mold and mildew from growing.

You can seal the inside of your home with a variety of products, including caulking and foam insulation. These items are available at most hardware stores, and they’re easy to install.

Properly sealing your house prevents hot, humid air from entering the home in summer and warm, dry air from escaping in winter. It also makes your home quieter and more comfortable. It can also help increase your resale value.

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