Investing in efficiency upgrade of homes does not depend on any nervous investor and always save money with proper execution. Just like in all investments, money has to be used, however, good returns are eminent; some are immediate while others take longer to materialize. Whichever way, they can uplift your financial status and boost the environmental health and value of your residence. Here are some tips on how to adopt efficiency upgrades in the home.
Carry out the energy audit of your home
You should know the R- value of your wall insulation and your home’s rate of exchange. Insulation with a large R-value has a larger or better resistance to heat, which mean that less heat is able to penetrate through it and escape. Therefore, the larger or higher the R-value, the more energy-efficient your home is.
If you are not sure, you need a home energy audit. Investing a little money in this has the ability to provide you with monetary savings and huge energy based on your present home’s efficiency.
Add insulation
You may not have a lot of insulation in the home. The attic is a marvellous site to consider as it’s always not fully taken during construction since it is not a common living space. However, when the insulation is not up to R-50, cool air, heat and money are lost.
Seal up doors and windows
Weather stripping and caulking doors and windows can be an ideal option for a green home. The addition of storm and low-E glazing windows or sealing leaky windows, for example double hung windows and other varieties that cease to seal as tightly as before, save more money every year.
Enhance efficiency of your cooling and heating
After getting everything in place, some bucks can be earned on cooling and heating systems. If a forced air furnace is present, sealing and insulating exposed ducts could be the best place to begin and R-6 is the target. You may use a few hundred bucks, but, because about 40 percent of energy costs in your home come from cooling and heating, is money well spent.
Save water
People flush large quantity of water down the drain each day. Although water conservation is a challenging undertaking, it can make you have a fat bank account.
Enhance your home’s thermal envelope
You can enhance the thermal envelope efficiency by using paint that contain a low percentage of volatile organic compound (VOC) paints or wallpaper adhesives, and formaldehyde and polyurethane-free flooring finishes.
Investment in green appliances
An upgrade of your kitchen appliances, like clothes dryers and fridge, with efficient brands saves more energy and cash. Eco- friendly kettles, for instance, use 31% less energy to boil a litre of water in comparison to the standard kettles; brand new clothes washer earns you around $70 a year, an efficient dishwasher will earn you $13 a year and a greener fridge saves up to $10 a year. If you intend to start afresh and don’t mind spending more, solar powered air conditioning and heating are the best solution.
Opt for energy saving lighting
There is a wide variety of low energy light bulbs in the market. Always get bulbs that have the mark of Energy Saving Trust. By replacing the halogens bulbs with energy saving LEDs you can save up about $80 every year.
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This post has been written by Sandra Melo, SEO consultant for the hardware store Robert Dyas.
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