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Tips for Maximizing Energy-Efficiency in Your Home

There are numerous benefits to making your home more energy-efficient. For starters, energy efficiency is conducive to a reduced carbon footprint. As such, households looking to do right by the environment should make energy efficiency a priority. Secondly, taking steps towards energy efficiency stands to save you a bundle in heating and cooling costs.

So, if you hail from an area that’s prone to blisteringly cold winters and/or brutally hot summers, a more energy-efficient home can be a boon to your finances. Anyone looking to maximize their household’s energy efficiency can benefit from the following tips.

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Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Appliances

Many modern appliances are designed with energy efficiency in mind. For example, an energy-efficient dishwasher consumes considerably less power and uses far less water than many traditional dishwashers. So, if any of your big-ticket appliances have seen better days, take care to prioritize energy efficiency when seeking out their replacements.

While it’s true that energy-efficient appliances tend to come with higher price-tags, they ultimately stand to save you a small fortune in energy costs. Wanting to save money in the moment is perfectly understandable, but when it comes to energy-efficient appliances, a short-term financial sacrifice can go a very long way. For good measure, why not protect your new appliances with a convenient homeowners insurance policy?

Install Energy-Efficient Doors and Windows

Unbeknownst to many homeowners, a considerable amount of indoor air can be lost through standard doors and windows. Even if your doors and windows are securely shut, you can expect quite a bit of air to escape through them. This can prove particularly problematic for people who live in locales that are prone to bitterly cold winters and/or blazingly hot summers. The more air that escapes through your doors and windows, the harder your central heating and cooling units have to work – and the more you can expect to spend in utility costs.

This is where upgrading to energy-efficient doors and windows can really pay off. For instance, energy-efficient windows contain multiple panes, making it far more difficult for indoor air to exit and outdoor air to enter. Similarly, energy-efficient doors tend to be composed of much thicker materials than standard doors, thus helping them minimize escaped air.

Anyone on the hunt for energy-efficient doors would do well to give wrought iron a try. Wrought iron doors are resilient, long-lasting and, most importantly, cost-effective. Additionally, anyone wondering, “Do wrought iron doors add value?,” can take solace in the answer being an emphatic YES.

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Ditch Incandescent Light Bulbs

For decades, we’ve been hearing about the benefits of energy-efficient light bulbs: they don’t burn as hot as traditional bulbs, they’re highly cost-effective and they last longer than incandescents. Unfortunately, this message has failed to resonate with a fair number of us. Because they grew up with incandescent bulbs, many people continue to use them out of sheer force of habit. Additionally, some people can’t see past the fact that energy-efficient halogen, CFL and LED bulbs come with slightly higher price-tags than their incandescent contemporaries.

However, as is the case with other energy-efficient products, these bulbs only cost more in the short term, as they have considerably longer lifespans than incandescents. Furthermore, since they consume less energy than traditional bulbs, CFLs and LEDs can be a boon to any household looking to reduce its environmental impact.

Hang Thermal Curtains

Thermal curtains are among the most cost-effective heating and cooling solutions you’re likely to find. Composed of thick thermal materials, these curtains are able to effectively minimize escaped air. They can prove particularly beneficial during the sweltering summer months by minimizing the amount of sunlight that finds its way into your home, thereby helping you maintain comfortably cool indoor temps.

As an added bonus, some thermal curtains double as noise-canceling curtains. So, if you live in an area that suffers from persistent noise pollution, don’t hesitate to outfit your home’s windows with dependable thermal curtains.

You have nothing to lose and much to gain from prioritizing energy efficiency in your home. Taking measures to make your residence more energy-efficient stands to save you a bundle in energy costs while lessening your household’s environmental impact. Additionally, maximizing your home’s energy efficiency needn’t prove draining on your time, energy or financial resources. Households looking to step up their energy efficiency game will be well-served by the measures discussed above.

Gail P
I am a beachy type of person, living in Newport Beach, and oftentimes I’ll go for a swim with my daughter. When I’m bored, I’ll help make package boxes for my little girl’s sticker company on Etsy.