Purchasing a new home with all the bells and whistles may not be something for everyone. Though an older home may come with a certain level of charm, it may also lack the energy efficiency most families look for now. Instead of buying new, making an old home more energy efficient could be the ticket you were looking for to save money on throughout the year.
There are many different ways to make a home energy-efficient, and we will discuss nine of them below:
Professional Inspection
A professional home inspector can help by doing thermal imaging of the house and tell you where you are losing most of your heat. This way, you will know where to focus most of your efforts if you were hoping to save some funds.
Begin Outside
Air leakage is the biggest culprit, with most homes losing up to 30% of the heat inside. This extreme loss means that the furnace has to work overtime to attempt to maintain the temperature set on the thermostat. Preventing these leaks is an easy task as you inspect the home for any leaks or cracks in the caulking.
For windows or doors, you can use weather stripping to insulate and prevent leaks through the cracks. Replace any broken or cracked caulking with rubberized caulk as it will last longer, and it’s flexible, which means it will have the ability to expand and contract with your home as the weather changes from hot to cold.
Insulation
An insufficiently insulated attic can present a huge leak of the heat in your home. Heat will always rise, and if there are cracks in the roof, it will leak right out of your home, causing your furnace to turn on constantly. If you suspect this might be the case, or you’ve had an inspection done, it’s best to hire a professional who can help you fix the issue.
Make the Switch
LEDs are much more energy-efficient than the regular incandescent lightbulb and can last up to 25,000 hours. Even if you are unable to make a full switch to all of the bulbs in your house, start small by updating a room or lamp at a time. Though they may prove a little costly at first, they will pay off in the long run since they use so much less energy.
Smart Thermostat
Efficient heating for old houses begins with the installation of a smart thermostat. A smart thermostat will learn from your family’s habits and set the timer to the correct temperature throughout the day, considering any current weather fluctuations and potential leaks inside the home. It will work to ensure that your home is kept at the optimal temperature without overworking the furnace.
A smart thermostat will also measure the amount of energy you’ve used throughout the month. You can track this information on most models straight from the control panel or even connect the information to your home as way to maintain a firm hand on your energy consumption. The age of the home will no longer matter when you have this type of knowledge.
Timers
Whenever possible, set timers on lights or appliances, so they are not running whenever they’re not needed. If you find that you or someone in your family forgets to turn the lights off as they walk from room to room, a timer may be the best solution since it will only let the light stay on for a couple of minutes. The same can be done with other appliances in the home, so they’re not turned on while you’re outside the home or sleeping.
Change Filter
Changing the filter on the furnace is essential to maintaining the appliance and heating or cooling your home. A clogged filter will cause your furnace to work overtime in an attempt to force the heated or cooled air through. Mark your calendar so as not to forget it’s best to change the filter at least once every month if you use the furnace every day.
Upgrade Appliances
Though this tip may sway toward the more expensive spectrum, changing your old appliances to newer models could help you become more energy-efficient in the long run. More recent models of major home appliances such as washers, dryers, refrigerators are made as energy-efficient as possible.
Prepaid Electricity
For homes found in a deregulated portion of Texas, switching to a prepaid electricity plan can provide great assistance in becoming energy-efficient. A prepaid plan allows the household to purchase a certain amount of electricity for the month at the beginning instead of paying for the use at the end of the month.
Making the payment ahead of time helps in maintaining awareness of how much energy is used. Using a smart meter can help track used energy to make sure energy doesn’t run out before the end of the month. Under this type of plan, families are more conscious of what they use and build a plan to use less as a way to pay less.
Takeaway
Older homes may need more tender, love, and care, but they can be made more energy-efficient. Depending on the amount of funds you have available, you can make some simple tweaks or larger purchases to help make the home energy efficient and help you save money in the long run.
Always begin with checking for insulation and any leaks since, in most cases, those will be easy to fix. When thinking of your energy-consumption inside the home, take a look at your thermostat for further review, as well as potential upgrades to older models of appliances. The latest models are surprisingly energy-efficient and can save quite a bit of money online in the long run.
