How to Make Your Home More Energy-Efficient
Homeowners across Canada and throughout North America are always looking for new ways to make their homes and lifestyles more energy-efficient. Whether you’ve just purchased a new home or are renovating your current house prior to listing, there are a number of ways that you can make it a little greener!
With the right updates and renovations, you can help ensure that your home is more energy-efficient, helping to save costs and preserve our planet.
Kitchen
There’s no doubt about it, the kitchen is undeniably the heart of your home. This space is where meals are prepared, family time is spent and late-night, heartfelt conversations are had. With so much time spent in the kitchen, it only makes sense that your energy-efficient upgrades would begin here!
Invest in ENERGY STARⓇ certified appliances, such as a dishwasher, range hood or refrigerator. These appliances have been shown to use anywhere from 10-50% less energy than some traditional alternatives!
Place the refrigerator away from heat sources, such as a vent or window, to help keep cooling costs down.
Create an efficient garbage, recycling and composting system. This will help make it easier to dispose of waste, recycle and compost!
Bathroom
While not every bathroom may have as much foot traffic as other parts of your home, it certainly is a hot spot for water and energy consumption.
Install a water-saving shower head, low-flow toilet and faucet aerators to help reduce water consumption.
Install a ENERGY STARⓇ certified ventilation system, which can help to save up to 50% of energy consumption compared to older options
Install a timer for your ventilation fan to keep it from running longer than needed.
Living Spaces
Whether you’re decorating your newly-purchased home or making renovations to help sell, there is a wide range of energy-saving options for the living spaces in your home. From the living room and dining room, to the office or basement, here are our top suggestions to help promote energy efficiency!
Opt for ENERGY STARⓇ certified products, such as televisions, phones, light fixtures, LED bulbs, and audio systems when shopping for your living spaces. These options can greatly reduce your energy consumption levels!
Along with your ENERGY STARⓇ certified lights, install a dimmer as well! Not only can a dimmer help to create ambiance, but it can also help to cut energy costs.
Seal your windows to ensure that cool air stays inside during the summer months and warm air in the winter. While sealing your windows, consider installing blinds or curtains to help further regulate your interior air temperature.
Install a Smart thermostat to help promote more effective monitoring and control of the temperature within your home. Most thermostats now have the ability to connect to your smartphone or mobile device, allowing you to ensure that the temperature is set accordingly - even from afar!
Bedrooms
Could the bedrooms in your home stand to be a little more energy efficient? If you notice that your bedroom is hot in the summertime and cold in the winter, this may be a tell-tale sign that certain adjustments can (and should) be made!
On the East and North facing sides of your bedrooms, consider installing windows with triple glazing. These windows can help to greatly minimize heating and cooling waste.
Opt for ENERGY STARⓇ certified windows, ceiling fans and home products for your bedrooms. ENERGY STARⓇ certified ceiling fans can help you use up to 60% less energy, while the windows are up to 89% more efficient than standard options.
Ensure that windows and cracks are sealed to help prevent air from escaping and improve overall temperature regulation within the home.
Laundry Room
The laundry room, another high energy consumption space. Not only for water, but electricity too! Lucky for you, there are a number of changes that you can make to ensure that your laundry space is as efficient and green as possible.
Never underestimate the energy-saving power of ENERGY STARⓇ certified appliances! Consider swapping out older appliances, such as the dryer or washer, for ENERGY STARⓇ certified options. When shopping for a washer and dryer, ensure that they are equipped with features that allow for washing in cold water, drying sensors and extended spin cycles to further promote energy efficiency within your home.
Install ENERGY STARⓇ certified lights. Bonus points if they are motion sensored, to further reduce unnecessary energy consumption.
Create a built-in and user-friendly drying rack system to help reduce the need to use the dryer. Not only can this addition help to reduce your energy consumption for drying clothing, but it can also help to preserve the quality of your clothes!
Outdoor Space
Did you know that there are energy-efficient upgrades for your outdoor space? From properly sealing your home to creating more shaded areas, here are our top suggestions for creating a greener green space!
Install weather stripping on all exterior doors to help from heat or cool air from escaping.
Plant trees strategically, to help promote shady areas in the warmer months.
Seal the exterior of your home, including all windows, doors and cracks.
With the right approach and upgrades, you can enjoy a more energy-efficient home in no time at all!
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Are you looking for more helpful information about owning, selling or buying a home? Take a look at the other articles in my blog for help getting started! For more information about the local real estate market in the Kitchener and Waterloo region, get in touch with me today!
