Apart from making your home more comfortable, there are many home improvements that can reduce your utility bills, which in turn makes your home more environmentally friendly. Some of these things cost just a few dollars, and while others might cost somewhat more, but the savings of both money and carbon will be well worth it.
Lighting
For many years, incandescent and fluorescent lights bulbs were all that were available, but now there are LED lights. The technology behind these means they use very little energy, are more flexible in lighting levels and will last years without you replacing them. It is estimated that your lighting costs will reduce by up to 80% if you change to LED lighting.
Roof and Attic
When thinking about making your home eco-friendlier, often, people miss a great chance with their roof. There are several materials that fit the bill, but not all roofing contractors use them. Ones that are very aware of environmental issues, such as Northface Construction do, however, and it is worth seeking out a contractor that will make your roof rather less harmful to the environment.
At the same time, consider having your attic insulated. This can have an amazing effect on the heat or coolness of your home. In the winter, it will help to keep the heat in and in summer, if the sun is beating down on your roof, it will help to keep your home cooler.
It does not matter if you want to use your attic for storage or to create another room for your house, there are so many types of attic insulation available that there will be one that is suitable for your property.
Update Kitchen Appliances
As kitchen appliances get older, they become less efficient. A dishwasher, for example, if it is more than four years old will use 10 gallons of water for each wash cycle. A new dishwasher will only use seven gallons, a saving of three gallons every time you turn it on. If you use it just once a day, that is a saving of 21 gallons a week. Over a year, that will be a lot less water you use, which will see a reduction in your water bills, and less energy used to operate it.
The same applies to all your kitchen appliances to some degree. Kettles, ovens, and toasters will use more energy the older they get.
Buy Your Tank A New Jacket
Jackets for hot water tanks cost just a few dollars, but once they get past about 10 years old they really need replacing. The way they are made has improved a great deal, and they will now keep your water hotter for longer. While lagging your tank is essential, it is also worth lagging any pipes leading from and to it, and this will help to keep the heat where it should be.
There are many other things you can do such as heating and air conditioning controls that let you pre-set times and temperatures, but solar panels, double glazing, and wall insulation will all help to reduce the energy bills for your home. Not only that, having an environmentally friendly house is a really good selling point when you decide it is time to move on.
