Your home’s energy efficiency is something that you should always be thinking about, especially when it comes to looking after the future generations who rely on the current earthlings to do their bit in keeping the environment safe and sound.
While there are major concerns when it comes to climate change and the irreversible changes that might occur if we do not all address it with more effort, the small changes you make right now could make all the difference to future generations who do not yet exist.
This guide will give you the top nine ways to make your home more energy efficient for the betterment of society going forward.
- Switch to LED lighting
LED lighting is pretty standard amongst most houses that are built in the modern day, but it is worth checking that all the lighting you have purchased around your home in the past also has LED lighting in place.
If not, then you could be paying a lot more in bills than you would if you shifted your lighting to LED lightbulbs instead. With LEDs, you are likely to get a longer use out of them, and they are also more eco-efficient, so there is really no excuse.
Do a check of your home and look for all the places where you might have lights that need replacing with an LED one instead. You will enjoy not having to change your lights as frequently as you usually would with previous lighting options.
- Make use of smart energy storage
When it comes to renewable and alternative energy sources, there is nothing quite as effective as solar power.
Solar power is being used by more and more households, especially since it is become more effective in its ability to collect, conserve, and utilize renewable energy that is not reliant on any shared or national grids.
Smart energy storage through the use of solar panels should definitely be thought about when it comes to being more aware of your energy usage. The more that can be saved when it comes to energy usage, the better. Solar power is definitely a good way to help make use of smart energy storage so that your property can become more self-sufficient in its efforts.
- Draft-proof your property
When you are looking to improve the warmth and comfort of your home, it is useful to know which rooms within your home often leak the warmth that is within that particular room. Ideally, you want the entirety of your home to be warm, but when you are lounging or sleeping in particular rooms, those are the ones you should be keeping warm the most.
With draft-proofing, you are essentially trying to seal up any parts of the room that might be leaking out the air or letting cold air in. Typical cold spots tend to be near windows and the cracks under the doors.
You can add your own makeshift draft excluder or look at other ways in which you can draft-proof your spaces. As a result of doing this, you might find that you use your home’s heating a lot less, or perhaps you are only putting on the heating for a short period of time.
- Replace any windows and doors
To help with making your home more energy efficient, replacing any windows or doors is definitely something you want to stay on top of for the sake of your home’s efficiency and security in fact.
The windows and doors are a vulnerable part of the home because if they become compromised, they make for an open invitation into your home for anyone outside. That is not something any homeowner wants to do, which is why it is good to stay on top of your windows and doors.
Take a closer look at all of them and identify if there are any areas you should be concerned about. Any worn or tired doors and windows should be replaced or at least updated so that they are reinforced where possible.
It is better to tackle the issues with these areas of the home, rather than ignore them. Old and tired doors or windows will also become less energy-efficient, doing great damage to your home’s ability to keep in the heat!
- Stop leaving the tap running
Most people are guilty of doing this, but every time you leave a tap running that does not require it to be on, you are contributing to your water usage. The wasted water is something you want to avoid, especially when some parts of the world do not have access to fresh and clean water.
Simply stopping the tap when you are not actively using it is the best way to ensure you use as little water as possible. Want to go a step further when it comes to excess water? Take fewer baths and opt for shorter showers where you can. These changes can make a big difference to how much water you use as a household.
- Use colder washes for laundry and fill up appliances
Colder washes when it comes to doing your laundry are always a good way to make your home more energy efficient. This is particularly within households where you have a lot of family members, all of whom are contributing actively and daily to the laundry basket.
Think about what type of washes you do currently with your washing machine and how you could make it more efficient with colder washes.
When it comes to all your appliances in general, such as your washing machine and dishwasher, try to load them up as much as you can. By maximizing the space available without overloading it, you are going to make sure that you are doing fewer separate loads as a result.
- Stop putting appliances on standby
It is useful to take a look around your home and identify the places in it where you have appliances that are on but they are in standby mode.
When you are looking to save money and energy in your home, it is best to switch them off at the plug. Leaving them on standby is going to cost you more money, and that is something you want to reduce in these economic times.
You would be surprised by just how much extra energy is being wasted by having your appliances not fully off. Even when they are not being used, if they are on standby, they are using energy.
- Maximize natural light
To help with making your home more energy-efficient, consider maximizing any and all natural light that your home gets. This is important because often a lot of money is wasted done so when you are using artificial light unnecessarily.
For example, in the middle of the day, when it is bright outside, you do not really need to be putting lights on in a room that has plenty of natural light shining through.
Try to find ways of maximizing natural light wherever possible. For example, move anything that might be blocking windows from letting in the light from outside. Keep blinds and curtains open for as long as possible until the sun sets or you start losing the light.
- Be conscious about what you buy for the home
Finally, it is good to be conscious about what you are buying for the home. Whether that is stuff for yourself or furniture for the home. Every single thing you buy will ultimately end up in the waste and landfills. Therefore, it is always good to be mindful of what you are purchasing and whether there are some things you do not need and could otherwise go without.
Making your home more energy efficient is something that you can be proactive with in many ways. Use these tips to make sure your home is efficient in 2025.
