Energy Efficient Home Ideas: Start Small but Aim High!

With the new year coming in just a few weeks, are you looking for energy efficient home ideas to help you go green and save money? Are you a bit concerned about how to tackle your home’s growing carbon footprint? The key is to not bite off more than you can chew! You need to start small but aim high when it comes to your green choices next year. Today, I am sharing a few energy efficient home ideas that will help you turn your home into a green and frugal oasis! You can also check out my green cleaning tips if you want to continue your journey to an eco friendly home.

Posts feature partner companies & may be sponsored. Post contains affiliate links & I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Energy Efficient Home Ideas: Start Small but Aim High!

 

Energy Efficient Home Ideas

Reducing water consumption and creating a more energy-efficient home may be high on your going-green to-do list. Imagine the sounds of your house: The dishwasher running, one kid showering and the other jumping through a backyard sprinkler. You enter the bathroom and notice the faucet dripping. Make it stop!

While fixing a leaky faucet is a no-brainer, a weak tap is a drop in the bucket (no pun intended) when it comes to home energy usage. You could spend hundreds of dollars on a plumber to stop a leak while wasting gallons of water on daily showers and extra rinse cycles. On top of that, you have to consider the lights in all your rooms, too.

There are certain energy-saving changes that may be obvious, but sometimes you need to look at the big picture to really make a dent in your home energy usage. Check out my post on how to turn a 1 way lamp into a 3 way lamp if you want to start small!)

Products for an Energy Efficient Home

I thought I would include a few recommended products to go along with my energy efficient home ideas. These items will make your journey to greener and more frugal living much easier!

  • Weatherstripping:  Sealing cracks around windows and doors with weatherstripping will help prevent your dollars from heating and cooling the outdoors.
  • LED light bulbs:  It’s amazing how much energy is used for home lighting. Change all your bulbs to LED light bulbs for savings on your energy bills.
  • Programmable thermostat:  No sense heating and cooling the house when you aren’t there. A programmable thermostat allows you to stop wasting money on heating a house that no one is in.
  • Energy Saving Power Strip:  Don’t let your appliances use more energy than they need. Upgrade to an energy saving power strip and cut down on ghost energy usage.
  • Budget Planner and Bill Organizer:  You won’t know if your changes are making a difference unless you track your expenses. Use a budget planner and bill organizer to see if your changes are saving you money.

 

 

Etekcity Wireless Remote Control Electrical Outlet Switch for Household Appliances, Wireless Remote Light Switch, White (Learning Code, 1Rx-1Tx)

TrickleStar Advanced 7 Outlet Energy Saving PowerStrip and Surge Protector, 2160 Joules, 4 Foot CordINKBIRD C919 Wi-Fi Digital Smart 110V 1500W Temperature Controller, IOS Smartphone, Heater & Cooler Thermostat Timer for Heating or Cooling Applications

 

 

Energy Efficient Home Ideas: Start Small but Aim High!

Home-Heating Hacks

Take your heat, for instance, when in the middle of winter the temperatures have dipped below freezing. To keep energy costs low, you’ve donned your sweater and fuzzy socks for warmth — admirable, to be sure, but layering up isn’t enough on its own. If you could see the bigger picture of your home heating system, you’d be shocked.

When your heater kicks on, a significant amount of heat is lost through windows, under doors, and through your roof. The energy saved by grabbing a sweater instead of turning up the thermostat is half the battle when it comes to heating costs. To create a real energy-saving home, explore solutions that offer the most bang for your buck. Additional insulation, double-pane windows and reducing drafts through weatherstripping will go a long way toward slashing heating costs, even if you bump the thermostat up a few degrees. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating accounts for 42 percent of a home’s energy bill. Keep that heat inside the house to shrink your energy bill long term.

Energy Efficient Home Ideas: Start Small but Aim High!

A Greener Laundry Routine

Reducing the ecological footprint of your laundry routine is a great goal, but your house only uses 14 percent of its power to heat water, according to ENERGY STAR. And your washing machine is just some of that. Cutting back on how many loads you wash by strictly running full loads cuts energy costs as well, though it can be difficult when kids need sports uniforms almost daily.

Buying a new washer or dryer might seem like a lot of money, but your investment can reduce energy usage by as much as 50 percent if you choose an ENERGY STAR-rated appliance. When you replace your old washer and dryer, find the old one a new home. Many appliance stores haul away old appliances for a small fee and recycle as much as possible. Consider hanging a clothesline for additional energy savings.

Although old appliances often need replacing if you expect them to be energy-efficient, they may also just call for an in-house fix. Little-known fact about dryers? Just because it’s taking longer to dry doesn’t mean it’s past its prime. The debris your lint filter doesn’t catch can actually clog up around the drum over time, increasing drying times. Clean it up by unscrewing the top of the front panel of the appliance and using your floor vacuum’s hose extension to suck out the buildup. Home appliance maintenance can save you a bundle on energy costs.

LE Dimmable A19 E26 LED Light Bulb 6W RGB 16 Colors Remote Controller IncludedA19 LED Light Bulbs Non Dimmable, 9.5W (60W equivalent), 3000K, 800 Lumens, (18 Pack), UL ListedTCP Decorative Globe Vanity Light Bulbs, Round, G25, E26 Base, 40W Equivalent, Non-Dimmable, Perfect For Bathrooms, Soft White (3 Pack)

Energy Efficient Home Ideas: Start Small but Aim High!

Shedding Light on Power

Anyone with kids has told them to “Turn off the lights” about a million times. Kids have an innate inability to turn lights off when they leave a room. But turning off lights you’re not using is the tip of the iceberg when trimming your electric bill.

Upgrading old incandescent bulbs to LEDs will save you a significant amount of cash. The U.S. Department of Energy suggests that traditional bulbs use around 75 percent more energy, 90 percent of which is wasted as heat. Lost energy costs money and produces zero light. If your lamp still has traditional incandescent bulbs, you’re wasting money and energy no matter how little time you spend actually using it.

Energy Efficient Home Ideas

Start Small, Aim High

Small changes are often the easiest to make when working towards an energy-efficient home. If those changes are easy to incorporate into your day-to-day and save money, they’re a great place to start. However, you need to look at the big picture before investing in green home improvements. Begin your journey with a home energy audit. Start small but aim high when reducing your reliance on fossil fuels.

Have any other energy efficient home ideas to share?

Like this post? Pin it for later!

Energy Efficient Home Ideas: Start Small but Aim High!


Leave a Comment