Homeowners who want to save money on their energy bills may want to make some energy-efficient upgrades to their home. Energy-efficient home upgrades can be an easy way to reduce costs and reduce the home’s carbon footprint, which is important to anyone who is trying to live a greener life. There are many options homeowners have when it comes to green upgrades. From the lights that illuminate the home to the appliances homeowners rely on, here are some of the best energy-efficient upgrades a homeowner can have in their home.
Energy Star Appliances
Refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, ovens, and more are all great choices when it comes to energy-efficient appliances. It’s easy to choose an appropriate appliance, because appliances that meet certain standards of energy use will be given an Energy Star logo. Anything that features this logo has been tested, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decides which appliances are allowed to use their logo. The Energy Star label was created to help lower greenhouse gas emissions from household appliances and make it easier for homeowners to seek out and purchase these greener appliances, so homeowners should always look out for the star when buying a new washing machine or refrigerator.
Smart Thermostats
Nearly every home uses a thermostat to control how hot or cold it is inside, but in recent years, smart thermostats have become more popular. Smart thermostats offer several advantages over traditional thermostats; for instance, a smart thermostat can be accessed from any smart device , such as a smartphone or tablet, and adjusted from anywhere in the world, whether that be on another continent or simply at work. A smart thermostat can also learn the schedule of the home and will automatically adjust itself. For example, if the homeowner wakes up everyday at 7 a.m. and turns the temperature up three degrees, it will learn to do that on its own. Alternatively, smart thermostats can simply be programmed to do that from the very beginning.
Dual-Flush Toilets
Many people don’t realize how much water the average toilet uses. Older toilets made before the 1980s often use 5-7 gallons of water per flush, while newer models can use around 3.5 gallons per flush. Over time, toilets have started using less and less water, and now there are dual-flush toilets that give users two options for how they want to flush: a small flush for liquid waste that uses .8 gallons or a larger flush for solid waste that uses 1.6 gallons. One of these toilets can significantly lower the amount of water wasted in a home, especially if the homeowner is upgrading from an old toilet.
Multi-Pane Windows
Traditionally, windows have been made with just a single pane of glass separating the home’s interior from the outside world. However, just one pane of glass doesn’t insulate a home very well, and it can cause a home to be colder in the winter and hotter in the summer, and that can also make it much more expensive to heat and cool the home. In order to help prevent the loss of energy, homeowners can install multi-pane windows. Dual-pane windows are the most commonly seen, but homeowners can also choose triple-pane windows, which are more expensive but are also more effective.
Energy-efficient installations can be a great way both to help take care of the earth and also save money on utility bills. These are just some of the great upgrades a homeowner can choose from, but there are energy-efficient alternatives for nearly everything; it’s just a matter of seeking them out.
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