The following is a guest post by James Witts.
If your resolution for 2019 includes cutting back on household expenses, making your home more energy efficient should be at the top of your list. You’ll find a wide range of products to help decrease your home’s energy consumption. Check out these four tips to make your home more energy efficient this year.
Go Solar
Harnessing the power of the sun is an easy way to incorporate energy efficiency into your home this year. Rooftop solar panels are becoming more popular and less expensive. Tax incentives can drastically reduce the cost of these systems.
Other solar powered options include outdoor lighting. You can choose a variety of lighting options that won’t consume any electricity. Solar powered flood lights, pathway lights, garden and porch lights are just a few of the many options available. Many of these lights are also motion censored, making them even more energy efficient. Consider installing a few of these around the outside of your home.
Auto-Renew Filters
The heating and cooling systems of your home are the primary source of energy consumption. Replacing older furnaces with newer energy efficient models is an excellent way to instantly cut down on energy costs. Can’t afford the newer options? Consider ordering your furnace filters online with an auto-renewal option. You’ll receive a new filter every few months making it easy to change. Doing so can help reduce energy costs as the heating and cooling systems won’t have to work as hard to force air through a clogged filter. Having the filters sent directly to your home also makes it more likely that you’ll replace them more often.
Plant Trees
If you live in the city of trees or an area with plenty of shade you may already be living more efficiently than you think. If not so much, an excellent way to add prolonged energy savings to your home is to plant shade trees in the yard. Not only do trees cut down on the amount of heat that hits your home, but they can also raise your home’s overall value. Trees help the environment by providing more air filtering qualities to the neighborhood. They also provide homes for pollinators and area wildlife. An Auburn University study concluded that your home’s energy costs will be reduced up to 11% by just having a mere 17% of your home shaded by a tree. Planting a few shade trees around your house today is a great investment that will make your home energy efficient for years to come.
Install A Tankless Water Heater
Many homeowners are choosing to ditch the large water heaters that can take up a good chunk of energy by continuously heating many gallons of water. A Tankless water heater only heats up the water that you immediately use. These smaller water heating systems cut down on the amount of space needed for heating water and cut down on the wasted energy of heating water that will need to be reheated later. Both gas and electric powered tankless heaters are available in these on-demand applications.
Any of these four tips will save you money and make your home more energy efficient in the new year. Upgrading to a tankless water heater and solar powered lights may cost you up front, but think of the savings you’ll see in 2019 and for years to come.
James Witts is an eco-conscious home improvement writer. He is constantly trying to find new ways to live off the grid while living in a tiny home with his wife, Andie.
