Are you looking for ways to increase the energy efficiency in your home? Do you wish that your home had more sustainable solutions than the features it came with? If so, then you need to learn all you can about home to increase your energy efficiency at home.
Doing so can help you in a variety of ways. It will give you a low carbon footprint, lower your monthly energy bill, and give you peace of mind throughout each day.
See below for several ways that you can make your home more energy-efficient. Be sure to use these to the best of your ability.
Table of Contents
1. Tinted Residential Windows
Who doesn’t love a bit of natural light making its way into your windows? During sunny days, many homeowners enjoy swinging open those curtains and letting all of the sunlight in that they can.
Natural light has many benefits, but there’s one major catch. The natural light making its way into your home contains harmful UV rays. These can quickly escalate the temperature inside your house and cause your air conditioning to work overtime.
There are days when your AC may never turn off to lower the climate in your house down to your preferred temp. As you might imagine, that will burn significant energy.
Thankfully, there is a solution! By investing in tinted residential windows, you can block 99-percent of the ultraviolet rays trying to make their way into your house. Not to worry, it will still in that beautiful natural light that you’re hoping for!
That’s not the only benefit of tinted windows either. It increases the privacy of your home, making it impossible to see in from the outside. It also enhances safety, as the window film will prevent the glass from shattering during a storm or a break-in.
2. Insulate Your House
The word “insulated” is highly overused in real estate. It’s a very loose term. The house might only have external wall insulation (insulation on the outer surface) and, technically, it’s an insulated house.
However, there are many different areas of the home that should be insulated and might not be. You should consider attic insulation, wall insulation (interior and exterior), and cavity wall insulation.
Cavity wall insulation is when your property has walls with space (cavity) in between two rows of bricks. Injecting insulation into that space can significantly boost the energy efficiency of your home.
There are many benefits of taking the time to insulate your walls and attic. It can reduce the level of noise from outside your home, reduce your monthly energy bill, and increase the safety of your house.
We recommend hiring a professional spray foam insulation Toronto contractor for the job.. They can take the time to assess your needs and use their resources to minimize costs.
When looking for a contractor, make sure to ask them a few questions. Are they properly insured? What type of insulation services do they offer? Do they carry liability insurance? Are there a few references that you can contact?
3. Invest in Solar Panels
Simply put: there are far too many benefits of solar panels for them not to be installed on your home. You can have Solar Panels installed on your home by a professional service, then reap the perks for years to come.
First of all, they require very little maintenance once they’re installed. Your only worry is keeping them clean, which you can either DIY or hire a service to do for you.
They also help reduce your energy bills. Solar panels reel in UV rays from the sun and transform them into energy that can be used in your home. In some instances, clients even receive payments when their panels have produced more energy than they used. Talk about a return on your investment!
They’re also extremely durable. Since solar panels rely on the sun, you’re investing in never-ending energy for your property.
4. Replace Your Windows
Gone are the days of single-pane windows. If you still have those in your home, they need to go before you install window film on your house.
These days, double-pane windows and triple-pane windows are the way to go. They reduce the draft in your home, as well as the noise. They also go a long way towards increasing the insulation on your home, making it more energy-efficient as a result.
If you notice that one or two of your rooms is exceptionally drafty in the wintertime, be sure to consider resealing your current windows as well.
5. Replace the Boiler
Whenever an energy bill skyrockets, homeowners assume it’s the HVAC system. However, the boiler can be just as guilty.
Boilers typically last around 15 years. Anything above that should be replaced. Common signs that you need a boiler replacement are if you notice leaks, loud noises, or unevenly heated rooms.
Like most appliances, boilers these days are more energy-efficient than ever before. They can reduce the energy required and give you optimal results.
This is especially important if you’re looking to do such home renovations as under tile heating, additional bathrooms, or the like.
Make Your Home More Energy Efficient Today
Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on how to make your home more energy-efficient, be sure to use this information to your advantage.
Start by identifying your biggest need. Where is your home currently lacking? Is the boiler’s age causing issues? Does your HVAC need to be repaired or replaced? Would insulation benefit you?
Be sure to browse our website for more articles on how to make your home more energy-efficient, as well as many other topics that you will enjoy.