With the overall cost of living on an upward trajectory, homeowners are always on the lookout of the possible ways to reduce their energy consumption. In simple terms, this means enhancing your home’s energy efficiency. Energy efficiency encompasses all those measures that focus on reducing your consumption of energy while ensuring that the quality of energy isn’t lost in the process.
It is imperative to note that efficiency isn’t solely limited to sources of energy, but also involves the use of daily used items as well as household appliances. If you are looking to enhance your home energy efficiency, you are in the right place. We are going to provide you with five practical tips on how to boost your home energy efficiency and reduce your monthly energy bills as low as possible. Peruse the article and get to know.
Upgrade to LED and Smart lighting:
Did you know that the average household spends nearly 10% of its energy budget to lighting? The conventional light bulbs such as incandescent lights are known to convert only about ten per cent of the total amount of energy they consume into light, transforming the rest into heat. Thankfully, the advent of technology has given rise to highly energy-efficient lighting solutions such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and compact fluorescent lamps that can potentially lower your energy consumption by up to 75%!
What’s more, improvements in lighting controls have further taken energy savings to a whole new level. With smart lighting at your disposal, you can effortlessly reduce the duration that your lights usually remain on but not in use. This can help you reduce your monthly energy costs substantially. All you need to do is to contact your local electrician and plan on how to install these new lighting technologies in your home.
Make sure your home is perfectly sealed and insulated:
If you want to enhance the energy efficiency of your home, you must ensure that your house is properly insulated and all the leaks sealed to help keep warm air inside during the cold season and cool air during the hot summer. Most homeowners don’t pay much attention to their basements and attics perhaps because, for some unknown reason, they are deemed less useful. If you didn’t know, a poorly insulated house will always allow the cold air to escape and this will likely make your heating and cooling system to strain and use more energy to cool your home. This is why you would want to consult a qualified electrician to examine your home and conduct the necessary air leak repairs.
Evaluate how you use electronic and other appliances:
Electronics and household appliances usually account for between 15 and 20% of household energy bills in an average Australian home. Always make sure that any electronic device including computers and monitors should all be turned off when not in use. Also, any charger such as for mobile phones and laptops should be unplugged when not in operation. If you didn’t know, these devices always consume some amount of energy anytime they are plugged in. Your freezers and refrigerators shouldn’t be located near any source of heat nor should they be exposed to sunlight because it will result in them consuming more electricity. Lastly, consider upgrading to ENERGY STAR-rated electronics and appliances. Using these types of devices will not only make your home somewhat more energy-efficient but will help reduce your carbon footprint as well.
Consider installing solar panels:
Though the upfront cost of solar panels can be quite costly, they guarantee loads of benefits other than just enhancing the energy efficiency of your home. They not only require little to no maintenance, are reliable, durable, but equally promote lower fossil fuel consumption.
Schedule routine HVAC maintenance:
Your cooling and heating unit is among the most power-hungry home devices. Routine air conditioner service will ensure that the unit is running optimally and at peak efficiency levels hence reducing your monthly energy consumption.
Conduct an energy audit:
You would want to hire a professional home energy auditing specialist to inspect and evaluate all the energy inefficiencies within your premises. A well-trained, certified and experienced energy auditor will inspect all corners of your home to identify energy savings opportunities as well as the sectors that need improvements.
