The energy you use within your home contributes to the health of the environment around you. With the climate crisis being ever-present, it’s important that we’re all making an active effort to reduce energy usage and waste where possible.
If you’ve become conscious of the energy you’re using and you’d like to reduce that energy usage, then this guide will certainly help. The energy crisis as it stands means many are paying a considerable amount more to cover their bills.
With that being said, let’s look at how you could help to reduce your energy usage in the home this year.
Think about your home’s current insulation
What does your home’s current insulation consist of? Is there insulation in the walls and ceiling or could there be some improvements made within these areas? It’s useful to know what insulation exists within the home and that way, you can make any necessary upgrades or additions where suitable.
The use of polycarbonate sheets is a great way to add insulation to the roof, which is one of the main sources of energy loss. If there’s not enough insulation around this area, then you’re likely to find that your property is losing more energy than it needs to. First Defense Insulation offers different types of insulation and will recommend the best type for your home.
Of course, roofing insulation and insulation, in general, can be an expense, but there are plenty of great, affordable options. You can shop here for all of the best insulation materials for your property.
Lower the heat on your radiators
It’s important to do your best and be conscious of your heating on a daily basis. How much heating do you use currently?
If it’s a substantial amount, then there are ways to help reduce energy consumption and that starts with the radiators. Of course, putting your heating on intermittently is going to save you money over having the heating on all day.
By lowering the heating on your radiators though, you can afford to have them on for longer but they’ll use less energy as a result. With the heating on low, you still keep the home warm but you’re likely to benefit from this for longer if you need the heating on for the majority of the day.
Switch off parts of the home’s heating when not in use
If there are certain parts of the home that you don’t particularly use throughout the day or evening, then it’s worth switching off the heating in these rooms until they need to be used. Shutting your doors will help keep heat confined to certain rooms, especially those that are in use.
Sure, it might take a bit more effort to stay on top of it, but it’s something that could help improve the home’s usage of heat in general. By switching it off at the radiators, it’s going to lower the output of energy coming from your boiler when the thermostat is turned up.
Upgrade your home appliances for better efficiency
All of your home appliances contribute to the energy output in some way. Some are more efficient, which you can read this post here, than others and that often comes down to the age of the appliance and how much energy it uses as a result. You can save money by making your HVAC system more efficient by consulting air conditioning installation experts that do AC installation in St. Louis, MO. According to experts who do AC tune up in Waukesha, WI, you may schedule an AC tune-up & maintenance every year to maintain the efficiency of your ac unit. If you have an old ac system, getting a new, more energy efficient ac installation can help you save on your utility bills.
Older appliances are going to need a lot more power behind them in order to thrive at the usual performance levels. When this happens, it’s good to look at upgrading the appliance itself. When you upgrade it, you’ll be saving yourself a considerable amount of energy as a result.
Yes, it’s an expense in the short term but it’ll end up paying you back in the long term when you’re spending less on your energy bills as a result.
Look at replacing any windows or doors
Over time, your windows and doors can become damaged and will lose their effectiveness when it comes to locking the heat in and keeping the cold out. Most doors and windows will last a good couple of decades before they need replacing. When that happens, you can try this out.
However, if you find that they’re deteriorating faster, you may want to jump on replacing them sooner rather than later.
The reason for this is that underperforming doors or windows are going to cause you to crank up the heating. No matter how long you leave the heating on, that heat is going to expel quickly through those windows and doors.
For any windows or doors that could do with replacing, look to get them replaced quickly and all at once if possible.
Wash your clothes at 30 degrees and fill up each cycle
To help save money on your energy bills, wash your clothes at 30 degrees and fill up on each cycle. While half a drum might feel like enough, it’s worth making use of the full drum without overpacking it and causing damage to your washing machine.
Washing at a lower temperature means it’ll use less energy and that is of course, useful for the environment.
Install a smart meter to track your usage
To help keep track of your energy usage, it’s worthwhile installing a smart meter. This is helpful for those who find it challenging to keep track of their energy usage and specifically, what appliances are causing the most energy use within the home.
Having a smart meter will also help you become more conscious of how much energy you’re using. That way, you’re more likely to keep energy usage down to a minimum.
Swap bath times for showers
Finally, if you’re someone who enjoys bath times, it may be causing a lot more energy usage than you’d like to admit. While you shouldn’t have to cut bath times out completely, it may be helpful to convert some of those bath times to showers instead.
Bathtubs will use up a lot of water and that equates to a lot of energy used as a result. If you can cut down your bath time usage each week, you could save yourself a lot of energy.
Reducing energy usage in the home is important so make sure to use these tips to help with your own property.
