Energy Efficiency

What You Could Do in Your Own Home to Make it More Energy Efficient Without Paying a Hefty Price

Many people still don’t understand that improving energy efficiency in a home does not have to be expensive. The other day I was talking to my coworker and she was saying that she has a 4 bedroom 20 year old house and its efficiency is in need of improvement since her bill was $300-400 a month. I told her that’s outrageous and she said that she wanted to replace all of the windows with new insulating windows but could not afford it because each window would cost about $800 a piece. I told her about other options such as UV blocking window films and she simply did not know about it. Homeowners should research more into the low-cost sustainable solutions that they can implement themselves in their home for a tenth of the price. Take for example the UV blocking window films; they cost about $40 or 3’X15’ roll. Not bad at all, that would cover about 3 windows depending on their sizes. You’d spend about $20 per window instead of $800. Now that’s a deal! Below I made a list of low-cost solutions that anyone can implement into their homes:

Solutions that aid with home energy efficiency:

·         UV Window Film

·         LED light bulbs

·         Silicone Caulk

·         Air filter for HVAC

And of course replacing older appliances with more efficient ones that are Energy Star rated but that’s a more costly solution.

Its important that all homeowners understand their options to improve their home so that they don’t bear a huge load when paying their utility bills.

UV window films are a great solution for older homes. In older homes, warmth from a home escapes greatly through the windows during the winter which makes the heater work harder to keep the home a certain comfortable temperature. Likewise, cool air escapes during the summer and more sunlight radiation hits through the windows causing a greenhouse effect in warming the house. In addition to warming a house, sunlight can damage wood finishes, plastics, and dyes in curtains. UV blocking window films are easy to install, merely peel and stick. They block 70% of oncoming solar radiation, ultimately saving the homeowner a significant amount on their electricity bill.

LED light bulbs should be implemented in most homes since they could last up to 20 years, use 10 watts of energy to produce 750 lumens or the light of a 75 watt incandescent light bulb, are more durable and resistant to breaking when dropped, and finally, they now come in an array of different lighting.

Silicone caulk like the other solutions should be used when filling gaps, cracks, and crevices in a home. This prevents moisture from seeping in, pests from creeping in, and most importantly, air from coming out. Silicone caulk unlike acrylic caulk lasts much longer since it is crack- and shrink- proof and is naturally resistant to mold and mildew growth.

Finally, in order to improve your HVAC’s efficiency, it’s always best to replace the filter every 3 months.

Home ownership requires a great deal of responsibility and can be expensive. But with these solutions added to your home, you can greatly reduce the costs and the stress!