A home is a major investment. To make the most of our hard-earned dollars, we are always on the lookout for ways to reduce the cost of homeownership. We can explore refinance options, make efforts to improve the value of our home and carry out major renovations and repairs as needed.
All of those steps are beneficial and definitely worth the effort, but they don’t have to be the end of the story. There are many simple things we can do that will save us money every single day. Here are some examples of how to upgrade our homes to save money.
Upgrading Insulation
At one time, homes were built with little or no insulation. As energy costs increased, homeowners realized that they could reduce their energy costs by adding insulation to floors, walls, and the attic. Then came “thermal imaging” which helped homeowners determine exactly where their home was losing heat. Although averages say that 35% of your heat loss is through walls, 25% is through your roof and 10% is through windows your case may be far from average. Knowing that red indicates a lot of heat loss and blue indicates little heat loss we can see that this home is far from average.
In this home, it is obvious that the vast majority of the heat loss is occurring through the roof and the porch roof. There is also a spot in the lower right corner and in the front triangle. The windows are actually losing very little. Perhaps the homeowner replaced the windows thinking that was their major problem when actually they should have been adding insulation to their attic and stopping the heat loss into the porch roof. This is why getting a thermal scan is so important. Once you have eliminated the major heat loss points you might consider ways of actually generating some of your own energy. There are a variety of solar panel installation services that will be happy to help you determine if solar is right for you.
Cutting Water & Energy Consumption
Chances are, you open a faucet or flip a switch dozens of times a day. When you can lower the cost of those daily functions, you can save a lot of money in a hurry. Installing low-volume toilets and improved faucets can cut water use.
Upgrading Systems
As we said last week in Regular Maintenance Will Save You Money “Heating and Cooling” uses 47% of your energy dollar followed by Water Heater (14%) and Washer and Dryer (13%). Followed by lighting at 12%. Although it might not be practical to upgrade a working HVAC system, replacing an outdated system can get you a much more efficient setup, but a simple annual service and inspection can improve performance as well. Replace your filters as recommended to reduce strain on the system. You might be able to upgrade lighting with LEDs and gradually work your way toward a more efficient home as items need replacing.
Installing Smart Thermostats
Most of us have had those days when we can’t remember if we adjusted the thermostat before leaving home. If we’ve forgotten to do it, we can be running up energy costs to maintain a comfortable temperature in an empty house. Smart thermostats with wifi capabilities allow you to check and adjust the temperature inside your home from anywhere, lowering your energy bills.
Your home is worth spending money on, but there is no reason to spend more than you need to. Your home can be comfortable and attractive while still remaining affordable. These tips will help you achieve that goal.
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