5 Tips For An Energy Efficiency Home
Written by: Admin | Date: Friday, 12th March 2010

Energy costs are rising, and everyone is looking to help save money. Here are five tips for an energy-efficient home that will cut your costs. Most people will find these tips simple to do. Follow them and look forward to seeing lower energy costs for your home.

Many people have their water heater set to high settings. However, most people only need the heaters to be on the warm setting, which is roughly 120 degrees. The Green Home Guide recommends that you also insulate hot water lines so they will not cool off as quickly. Finally, install low-flow fixtures in your showers and baths to reduce the amount of hot water being used.

Traditional incandescent light bulbs should be replaced with fluorescent bulbs. The Green Home Guide states that the bulbs will last 10,000 hours and generate as much light as a 100-watt incandescent bulb but only use about 27 watts. These bulbs cost more initially, but their energy savings means that over the life of the bulb they will cost you only a third of what traditional bulbs would cost. These bulbs are also now available to fit into almost any traditional socket.

Check your homes windows for proper insulation. Stand by the window and run your hand along the frame on all sides. Should you feel a draft, you probably have windows that could benefit from added insulation. Carefully remove the trim from around the window and look between the sheet rock edge and window frame. Insulation should be visible, if it is not you will want to add insulation around the window. You can use traditional fiberglass insulation or spray foam insulation to make these windows more energy-efficient.

The attic is another area where insulation can easily be added. Simply roll the layers out over the existing insulation. Take care when adding insulation to attics that you do not block off the vents. Improper attic ventilation can cause many problems including damaging ice dams.

Finally, take advantage of the sun and your window shades. When the weather is cold, you want the sun to stream in and warm your home. Open the blinds and take full advantage of this free heat. However, in the warmer months, you will be battling that heat. Therefore, when the weather is warm and you want the house cooler, keep the shades closed in any windows that are in the suns path. This is perhaps the simplest way to increase your home's energy efficiency.

Hopefully these tips will help you to save money and make your home more energy-efficient. Insulation in the walls and new windows are also great for achieving an energy-efficient home. However, these 5 tips for an energy efficiency home offer a relatively low-cost and a high reward.