At a time of rising power costs, higher heating/cooling bills, and environmental concerns, many homeowners are seeking homes that are healthier for their family, more cost effective to run, built to last and reflect a commitment to sustainability – these homes are known as High Performance Homes.

A truly high performance home goes far beyond having lower energy bills; it is an integrated design process. Utilizing cutting-edge building sciences, the High Performance Home design process uses an individualized design process tailored to individual homeowner wishes and site conditions – including wind/solar access, elevation changes, surrounding landscape considerations and weather patterns over the year.

To achieve a high performance rating, building envelopes must be airtight and well insulated while still permitting natural ventilation through heat recovery ventilators (HRV), providing fresh indoor air without polluted outside air entering from outside sources. This enables mechanical systems to be more accurately sized while cutting water usage through efficient tankless hot water systems.

Renovations that make your home more energy efficient or more like these buildings can save money and contribute to a greener world. On top of that, energy efficiency home remodeling ideas across the internet offer attractive upgrades that may increase your home’s resale value. Increased insulation, upgraded windows and replacing old appliances are just some of the many ways homeowners can reduce energy usage and utility bills.

1. Add Insulation

Insulation is one of the key steps you can take to make your home more energy efficient, and can dramatically cut power bills by keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer. According to ENERGY STAR estimates, homes that properly seal air leaks and add insulation can save up to 10% annually on power costs.

Insulating your home helps eliminate unwarranted airflow and create a thermal barrier to limit heat transfer, blocking heat from entering in wintertime while keeping it out in summer, providing a consistent temperature year-round.

According to this press release, most homes in the United States are under-insulated. This is often due to age; older houses typically contain less insulation. Installing insulation can significantly decrease power bills while simultaneously helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increasing your home value.

Insulating your home, whether new or renovation is an investment that will pay dividends in reduced energy costs and increased property values. Insulation should be installed throughout your home but most notably attic and wall space between living spaces should be properly insulated, along with any unheated spaces such as garages, basements or store rooms that adjoin them.

2. Upgrade Your Windows

If your windows and doors are outdated and energy inefficient, one of the best upgrades you can make to make your home more energy efficient is installing energy star certified products. New windows and doors will help reduce heating and cooling costs while keeping the cold air out during winter and hot air out during summer. They’ll also filter UV rays out, protecting furniture, wood floors and artwork from harmful UV damage.

Energy efficient windows will bring more natural light into your living spaces for a brighter and cozier atmosphere, reduce noise pollution outside, and provide increased privacy because they’re better insulated than older models.

Upgraded energy efficient windows and doors may also increase the value of your property should you plan to sell it later on. New windows and doors make your house appear more modern and well-kept – two factors potential buyers look for when considering whether to make an offer on it.

3. Replace Your Appliances

Replacing old appliances with energy efficient ones is an excellent way to reduce utility costs and make savings a reality. Most appliances last ten years or longer; when reaching their end of service life it may be worth investing in more efficient models designed with efficiency in mind – look out for models marked ENERGY STAR as these will ensure you receive maximum power efficiency from each purchase.

Major appliances, like furnaces and water heaters, may require professional assistance for replacement; however, smaller appliances such as those marked ENERGY STAR can help kick-start a green home renovation initiative by cutting your power consumption by up to 40% in summer months and 10% during winter.

4. Add a Solar Panel

Solar panels harness power from the sun and convert it to electricity, offering an easy way to reduce fossil fuel use and utility bills while increasing home value – Zillow conducted a recent survey that revealed homebuyers willing to pay up to 15k more for homes with solar panels compared with similar homes without.

If you decide to install solar panels, make sure your wattage covers as much of your electricity usage as possible; that will bring you maximum savings in electricity bills. In addition to saving money and being environmentally-friendly, solar power helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions – something many homebuyers who care about sustainability and climate change find appealing; consequently solar-powered homes have seen significant appreciation in real estate prices.

Photos By: Unsplash, Pixels

One of the annoyances of contemporary suburban life is paying a ton for electricity that is not energy efficient and is terrible for the environment. Luckily enough, there are plenty of products available on the market these days that can help respond to the concerns of consumers. The following are a few to keep in mind when shopping for your home.

1. Smart Sprinklers

Lawns take up a ton of energy, time, and of course water to maintain. If you want to stop wasting water and having your bill go bonkers at the end of each month, then look into running your sprinklers when you need to. A customizable smart sprinkler system will work according to how you program it, allowing you to conserve water while keeping the soil moist and healthy.

2. Smart Thermostats

These are arguably popular in most homes these days. Smart thermostats can help you reduce your heating and cooling by as much as twenty-five percent by allowing you to control the temperature in your home in a way that is more customizable according to your needs. It can be hard to find which system would work best for you, but checking out trustworthy feedback as seen ohn https://homezilla.in is always a good move. If you want to keep your energy use down, then this is the way to go.

3. Motion Sensing Lighting System

A lighting system that automatically turns off when you’re not using it is nothing short of genius. However, if investing in a smart lighting system is a bit out of your range, then at least make the upgrade to LED smart bulbs, which will be more energy-efficient than older models. 

4. Smart Power Strips

Some electronics are just energy leeches that suck out a ton of power at all times. They are high maintenance, but essential to how we live our daily lives. To help solve the problem, you can switch out your traditional power strips for power ones, of which there should be a wide variety on the market to help you better manage the energy situation at home. These work basically by placing each appliance being charged on standby if they are already fully charged. While they mostly work for smart devices, they’re still very helpful to have around and will lower your energy usage overall. 

5. Freshness Extender

Throwing out foods before you’ve had a chance to cook or eat it can get really depressing. Not to mention wasteful. You can get around this by getting a freshness extender to help you keep your fruits and veggies fresh for two or even three months. The technology helps to absorb the ethylene gas that fruits and vegetables emit when ripening, thus ensuring that your food stays fresh for longer, and saving you money.

6. Solar Powered Lights

An environmentally friendly classic, solar-powered lights can help you stay energy efficient. Of course, they mostly work if you have a large backyard. If this is the case for you, and you’d like to save money on energy while being kinder to the environment, then getting a few solar panels installed would be a good move.

While we probably shouldn’t hold the feet of homeowners to the fire in the same way as major corporations regarding the climate crisis, every one of us has a part to play. Each small intervention can make a difference, and not only will it help the environment, but you will also be saving money.

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Cooking Efficiently

You might not normally think about the effect that saving energy in the kitchen has on your overall energy bill. Usually, you would be more concerned with ensuring that your house is well-insulated or changing your energy deal to save some cash. However, it should be made known that the energy consumed in the kitchen can amount to a huge impact on your total energy usage and thus energy bills.

Essentially, this is very much influenced by the food you are cooking and how you are cooking it. This does not mean you must invest in a top-grade energy-efficient oven to better the energy efficiency of your kitchen though. Just being more aware of how you are cooking can greatly lessen the amount of energy used and the total bill in the process. For further cost savings, you might even want to switch electricity provider if you are unsatisfied with your current electricity plan. Here are 21 easy to follow recommendations that would help you in your journey to becoming an energy-conscious home cook. Knowing and understanding these would certainly have a positive impact on your energy usage and wallet, even if you do not use them all in preparing every meal.

Top Recommendations for Cooking Efficiently

1. Use a microwave whenever possible to heat up and cook food
2. Use boiled water from a kettle to steam or boil food over the stove
3. Use only as much water as you need to boil food as energy is wasted on the water you boil but do not actually need
4. Slow cookers only consume slightly more energy than a lightbulb are an energy-saving cooking appliance
5. Maximize the amount of food you cook in an oven and cook them all in one go
6. As much as possible, try not to open the oven door while it is in use
7. Thaw your frozen food in advance to avoid using an additional appliance to defrost it
8. Familiarize yourself with the time it takes for your oven to preheat so you can start cooking right when it is at the correct temperature.
9. Boil potatoes before roasting them to cut down on the time needed to cook in the oven
10. Ceramic or glassware retains heat better and is more efficient to use
11. Cut up large pieces of foods to allow it to cook more quickly and avoid overcooking
12. Convection or fan-assisted ovens are more energy-efficient as the fans help to circulate the heat around the food
13. Switch off electric ovens ten minutes before the food is done cooking
14. Use an appropriately sized pan and hob to cook
15. When needed, use a lid on pots and pans to retain the heat within
16. Steam vegetables with a double steamer so the food can be stacked on top of each other while using one ring
17. As most dishes need to simmer instead of boil, turn down the heat of the ring or burner once optimal cooking temperature is reached
18. Use a pressure cooker whenever you can
19. Opt for flat-bottomed pans for electric hobs such that heat spreads even throughout
20. Copper-bottomed pans conduct heat quicker and cast-iron pans retain heat better
21. Clean heating rings often so that food stuck would not interfere with heat absorption

Which Appliance to Use?

If you are going for something that is quick and simple, the most energy-efficient way is to use a microwave to cook. A microwave doesn’t cost much to use per hour, so if you don’t need to make anything complicated, just use a microwave.

On the flipside, ovens are most widely used as they are versatile when it comes to the methods of cooking you can do with just one appliance. However, research shows that using ovens and grills cost less per hour than a microwave, but since you are more likely to use ovens longer than you would a microwave, the amount of money is about the same. In this aspect, the amount of money each appliance cost mostly depends on how efficiently you are using them, and not which you use.

Which Hob to Use?

Induction hobs are gaining popularity for kitchens and oven manufacturers, whereas traditional gas-ringed hobs are starting to get outdated. This is rightfully so as studies indicate that induction hobs are much cheaper and up to 74% more efficient in generating heat. They also use 57% less energy as compared to their gas counterparts.

Impact on the Environment

Almost all of the above mentioned recommendations have positive spill-over effects on the environment as being more energy-efficient translates into generally a greener approach to cooking. Using such methods in your cooking as much as possible will significantly reduce the amount of energy you use and hence the impact on the environment.

Should I Get a New Appliance?

That being said, you do not need to invest in a newer, more energy-efficient appliance to be more energy-efficient while cooking if you already have one that is working well. However, should any kitchen appliance you own is not working, it is worth it to buy one that saves as much energy as possible and helps to keep your bills low as well. You should also think of replacing one that is ten years or older. Regardless of their condition, older appliances are expensive to fix and more convenient (and even cheaper) to replace entirely. It is also worthwhile to constantly ensure that your oven doors are properly sealed and the thermostat or fan is working well.

Should you choose to buy a new electric one, choose one that is energy-efficient with triple glazing on the door. The energy label can also give you an indication of its energy-efficiency and help reduce costs in the long run. The most efficient ones also carry the Energy Saving recommended badge.

Conclusion

In sum, ensure that you are not overpaying for the energy you use by signing up to a fixed rate tariff for one to two years and check that you do not snowball onto a potentially pricey standard variable tariff. Comparing gas and electricity prices is also useful to ensure that you are on the most inexpensive tariff that fits your usage.

While your family may be doing everything in their power to reduce your impact on the environment and prevent energy waste in your home, there are things that Americans do every day that waste energy without even realizing it. From charging electronics to watching TV, there are little energy wasters that you just don’t consider. Below you will find a few of the biggest energy suckers out there, so you and your family can do better. 

Faulty Water Heater 

While washing your hands or face with hot water isn’t that big of a deal, if you have a faulty water heater you’re not only killing the environment, your water and electric bills are probably through the roof (or soon will be). Having an energy-efficient water heater is a start, but you have to maintain that unit properly as well. This means regular maintenance check-ups and repairs when needed. If you’re in the California area, there are many water heater repair San Diego services to meet your needs in this department. Just give one of them a call. An extra tip to help lower your energy bill is to make sure the thermostat on your unit is set to 120 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. .

Not Changing HVAC Filters

While you might not think it makes that much of a difference, failing to change the filters on your HVAC unit can waste a ton of energy. Summer cooling bills are already high enough for most people, forgetting to change those filters once a month can make it even worse. A simple phone notification or sometimes scheduling a filter change on your day planner can remind you and make quite a bit of difference in your energy-wasting habits. 

Washing Clothes in Hot Water

Washing your clothes in hot water is a thing of the past, thanks to detergents that don’t require you to do so. Also, almost 90% the energy bill from doing laundry is spent on heating up water. You can cut your energy usage by more than half by simply using cold water. Your clothes will come out just as clean and smelling just as fresh, but you’ll be doing your part to cut energy usage at the same time. Unless you’re trying to get out some tough stains or grease spots, cold water works just as well to clean most clothing, towels, and sheets. 

Running the Dishwasher When It’s Only Half Full 

While it may be tempting to run the dishwasher after breakfast and lunch when it’s only halfway filled, it’s best to wait until after dinner when it’s completely full and the day is done. A normal dishwasher takes around 1800 watts of electricity to operate, and that’s whether it’s completely full or not. It’s also possible to save even more energy if you switch the heat setting to air dry instead. While it may not seem like such a simple act could save much energy, added up over time, it truly does. 

Standing With the Fridge Door Open 

Those few seconds standing with the fridge door open while you hunt for something that isn’t there add up over time. Opening the freezer and fridge only when necessary can help save quite a bit of energy. Leave the browsing for the pantry, which doesn’t cost you a dime in energy costs. These are just a few of the energy wasters you might be contributing to in your home on a daily basis. Just a few quick seconds of thinking through opening the fridge door or turning down the thermostat on your water heater can save you money and make a world of difference to the environment around you. 

So is most of the rest of the world. Homeowners face an ongoing challenge when it comes to saving energy, especially when their household is home to many people. How do you dial back energy use in a house with many demands? Dishwashers, coffeemakers, space heaters, electric bbq smokers, massage devices, electric toothbrushes — the list of electronic devices in the average home has increased drastically since the 60’s. We can’t avoid using appliances in our everyday lives, but there are ways to save money in your busy household that will have a long term impact on your energy costs.

1. Replace your Water Heater with a Tankless Water Heater.

It’s in your best interest to invest in a tankless water heater — after all, it will save you space and help you cut down your energy bill. While traditional heaters are essentially large tanks that hold hot water, a tankless heater is a device that heats water on demand. You connect it directly to your water source, as the system is a water reservoir with an energy-efficient heating element inside. As water passes through the reservoir, the element quickly heats the water.

Tankless water heaters are so compact they can be installed and mounted on a wall, under the kitchen sink, or in the laundry room. An electric tankless water heater, for one, is much smaller than a conventional water heater. Many of these systems also include digital features and SMART technology that adjusts to your water usage.

There are so many different tankless water heater models on the market that you’re bound to find one that suits your unique needs — you just need to learn more about your options to identify the right system for your home!

2. Switch to Energy-Efficient Appliances.

The US Dept of Energy outlines standards for energy-efficient products. These standards provide manufacturers with the standards for designing quality appliances and electrical devices that utilize energy (eg electricity, natural gas, propane) in the most efficient manner. Even with energy-efficient appliances operating in your home, it’s easy to waste energy. Failing to maintain your appliance, applying them to uses other than intended by the manufacturer, and overuse can render your energy-efficient product less effective.

Read through the user manual of your energy-efficient appliance or product to get the most out of its energy-saving features. Check for Energy Star approval ratings before you make a purchase and be sure the brand you invest in has a reputation for quality as well as safety.

3. Create an Exterior Green Wall with Draping Foliage.

Want an interesting way to save on energy and heating? In Japan, exterior green walls have already been employed to great effect. Draping vines, for example, can be used to cover any interior or exterior wall. The vine foliage with its broad green leaves deflects sunlight, which effectively reduces the temperature by as much as 10 degrees C.