If you want your home to be energy efficient, then you need to make changes before the winter season hits. Winter is when homeowners spend the most money on energy costs. This is mainly because it takes a lot of money to heat a home and poor insulation, old heating systems, and out of date windows can make the situation even worse. If you haven’t invested in eco-friendly renovations, then it’s probably costing you a lot more than it should be. By renovating your home and making it more environment friendly, you will lower your electricity costs while supporting the environment.
1 – Use recycled material to insulate your home
Insulation companies actually offer recycled material insulations that are far more effective than traditional types of insulation. It has been proven to trap heat inside the home more effectively, which can reduce your electricity costs substantially. How nice would it be to have heat last inside your home for 2-3 times longer than it normally does? When you have poor insulation, heat escapes from the home about as fast as you put it in. By upgrading your insulation to a recycled material product, you will be supporting the environment while improving your home.
2 – Invest in an eco-friendly heating system
Gas heaters can be effective, but they aren’t environment friendly. When you can power a heater with electricity, then that opens up renewable energy opportunities. Solar panels, hydropower, and wind turbines are reliable ways to generate energy from natural sources on the earth. Solar panels are the most practical option and they can easily be installed at a residential or commercial location. In fact, solar panels can even be placed on top of a roof for maximum exposure to sunlight and little disturbance to you. By investing in an eco-friendly electric heater, you can heat your home at little to no cost.
3 – Apply eco-friendly warmers to the inside of your windows
There are specialized products that you can purchase and apply to your windows that will circulate heat throughout the glass. They don’t require additional electricity and they can help retain heat inside your home. Windows are one of the most common areas for heat to escape and by using eco-friendly products to keep the heat from escaping; you can reduce your energy costs by a large margin.
4 – Invest in compact fluorescent light bulbs
Compact fluorescent light bulbs can actually last ten times longer than traditional incandescent light bulbs. Not only that, but they also use seventy to eighty percent less energy. This means you’re getting more value in a compact light bulb that is eco-friendly and affordable. On average, a homeowner will save about $60 in energy costs by investing in a compact fluorescent light bulb.
5 – Use an electric fireplace
Unfortunately, most fireplaces let heat escape right out the chimney. Glass door fireplaces are more efficient at trapping heat, but they aren’t as reliable as an electric heater. If you can purchase an electric fireplace, like the ones sold at hardware stores, then you can save a lot of money on your heating costs. Remember, electricity can be supplemented by solar panels, hydropower, and wind turbines, so there is plenty of opportunity to reduce costs. With wood burning or gas fireplaces, you either have to spend money on logs or natural gas. Both of these items can be expensive and they aren’t environment friendly. In fact, gases released with wood burning and gas fireplaces can be dangerous for your health and should be avoided.
Eco-friendly renovations should be finished up before the winter season so that you can save money on heating costs. If you were in need of eco-friendly ideas to prep your home for winter, I hope these 5 simple tips were able to help.
Author Bio: This article was written by Stevie Clapton of FastCash.org a company that provides information about short term loans in Washington including Seattle.
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