21 Tips to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

There are real financial incentives to making your home more energy efficient. Some home updates do require more money up front, even if they offer a substantial return on investment over time. But there are plenty of ways to increase your energy efficiency at a minimal expense too. You’ll have the greatest success by taking a multipronged approach and combining several strategies to save energy, so we’ve curated a list of actionable and accessible energy efficient home tips.

The Importance of Energy Efficiency

There are several personal and communal benefits to saving energy. Here’s a breakdown of why acting on energy savings tips can be so advantageous.

• Financial savings. Using less energy results in reduced energy bills, of course. Your month-to-month savings on electricity, oil, or other resources might seem modest at first, but savings accrue over time. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, simply using an energy efficient dishwasher, for example, instead of washing dishes by hand will result in approximately $3,200 in savings over the appliance’s lifetime. That means the machine can effectively pay for itself.
• Less pollution. The environmental benefits of energy efficient appliances and home updates are impossible to ignore. Curtailed energy consumption results in a smaller carbon footprint. When extrapolated to the national or international level, that means cleaner air, cleaner water, healthier animal populations, fewer respiratory diseases, greater life expectancy—the benefits run on and on.
• Greater appliance longevity. Using less energy puts less strain on your major home appliances. If you better insulate your home, for example, you’ll save on air conditioning in the hot summer months because cooler air won’t so easily escape the house. Your air conditioner will run less frequently, allowing you to get more mileage out of it in the long run. The same logic applies to virtually every other major home appliance.
• Higher property values. Homebuyers have an appetite for environmentally friendly and energy efficient homes. The Department of Energy has reported that homes and apartments that prioritize energy efficiency are assessed 2% to 8% higher than otherwise equivalent properties. 
• Tax benefits. The federal government has long incentivized home updates to increase energy efficiency. There are various tax credits and rebates for homeowners who install solar panels, update doors and windows, invest in energy efficient appliances, and so on. 

Energy Consumption in Homes

Data from the U.S. government suggest that the residential sector accounts for around 21% of total energy consumption in the nation. Homes and apartments can derive energy from different sources, though electricity and natural gas are most common. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, here’s the breakdown of residential end-use energy consumption in 2020:

• Electricity: 44%
• Natural gas: 43%
• Petroleum (oil, kerosene, liquified petroleum gas): 8%
• Renewable energy (solar, geothermal, wood): 5%

Then there’s the question of how we expend our energy. In the residential sector, home heating and cooling can account for more than half of our energy consumption. Ten percent or more of our energy usage goes to water heating, and an almost equivalent amount toward lighting. Major home appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, and ovens, use quite a bit of energy as well. Energy usage by electronics like televisions and laptops is comparably insignificant. 

 

Tips to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

1. Apply weatherstripping to your windows and doors.

Weatherstripping is cheap, effective, and easy to install. Use a thermal leak detector or even a simple candle to detect drafts coming through small cracks around your windows and doors. With heating and cooling likely accounting for most of your energy usage, eliminating drafts will go a long way toward reducing your energy consumption.

2. Use curtains and blinds to your advantage.

Curtains and blinds aren’t strictly a matter of home decor. In the winter, keep your blinds and curtains open to allow direct sunlight into your home. The radiant heat from natural sunlight will increase your home’s ambient temperature. Conversely, draw the curtains or blinds during hot summer months. If you don’t want to sacrifice too much natural light, you could experiment with different fabrics or materials. Thermal or sheer curtains or cellular shades can help you block the heat without casting your living space into shadow.

3. Adjust your water heater’s thermostat.

Water heating accounts for a substantial portion of the average homeowner’s energy consumption. Investing in a new energy efficient heater isn’t necessarily required to reduce your energy bills. You could simply turn down the thermostat to keep your water heater from heating water to excessively high temperatures. The default setting on many water heaters is 140 degrees, but the Department of Energy recommends dialing it down to 120 degrees for healthy adults.

4. Switch to LED light bulbs.

The average homeowner can save around $200 per year simply by switching to LED light bulbs. Many smart LED bulbs also allow for different light colors and temperatures, so you can craft the ambiance that is just right for you.

5. Adjust your ceiling fans to the season. 

Energy efficient ceiling fans are designed to spin both clockwise and counterclockwise. In the winter, set your fan to spin clockwise to create an updraft that moves warmer air throughout the room. In the summer, adjust your ceiling fans to spin counterclockwise to create a downdraft that circulates cooler air.

6. Wash your clothes with cold water.

Cold water is fine for average laundry loads. Reserve hot water cycles for heavily soiled clothes.

7. Use your dishwasher.

We think of appliances as conveniences that expend extra energy, but the dishwasher is an exception. Using your dishwasher is much more energy efficient than washing dishes by hand. Increase its efficiency by running full loads and avoiding extended drying cycles.

8. Insulate unfinished parts of the house.

It’s not uncommon for basement walls or attic ceilings to lack insulation, largely because these are typically storage areas as opposed to living spaces. Additional attic or basement insulation can better regulate your home’s temperature, however.

9. Install a smart or programmable thermostat.

Remotely controlled or programmable thermostats ensure that you can always have your home set to an ideal temperature. When you’re away from home, you can ease up on the heating or cooling to reduce your energy consumption.

10. Use your microwave and toaster oven.

Microwaves and toaster ovens use less energy than standard kitchen ovens. Sometimes you need the space of a full-size oven, but if you’re heating or cooking something smaller, use your more compact cooking appliances.

11. Clean your refrigerator and air conditioner coils. 

Even an energy efficient fridge or air conditioner will work better if the condenser coils are free of dust and debris. Use a damp cloth to wipe them clean every two to four weeks.

12. Give your vents and registers room to breathe.

Make sure your central air vents are free from obstructions. Rugs, furniture, curtains, and drapes are some common inhibitors of airflow. 

13. Upgrade your appliances.

Though an initial financial investment, ENERGY STAR appliances will save you money in the long run. The government program ensures that major home appliances are up to modern standards of energy efficiency.

14. Service and maintain your appliances.

Neglected appliances are less efficient. Make sure a certified technician is periodically servicing your water heater and furnace. Regularly replace the filters in your furnace and air conditioner to keep the equipment running smoothly.

15. Unplug vampire appliances.

Many common household appliances draw power even when we assume they are powered off. These “vampire appliances” include televisions, gaming consoles, coffee machines, chargers, hair dryers, electric toothbrushes, and more. 

16. Defrost your freezer.

Freezers choked with frost and ice have to work harder to maintain cold temperatures. Use the defrost cycle or manually remove frost and ice to avoid overworking the appliance.

17. Apply window film or tints.

Window treatments can reflect sunlight to avoid overheating your home. These are especially useful in particularly warm climates. In colder areas, you might actually want all the warmth the sun has to offer in the winter.

18. Use low-flow plumbing fixtures.

Low-flow faucets, shower heads, and toilets are increasingly popular. These plumbing fixtures cut down on your water consumption and help you reduce your energy usage little by little.

19. Keep heat-generating appliances away from your thermostat.

Particularly in the summer, avoid setting your television, computer, gaming consoles, or other appliances that run hot near your thermostat. These devices will trick your thermostat into thinking the ambient temperature is higher than it really is, so your air conditioner will run longer than necessary.

20. Invest in a tankless water heater.

Traditional water heaters need to bring a reservoir of water up to temperature before you can use hot water for bathing and washing dishes. A tankless water heater heats water on demand, using less energy in the process.

21. Upgrade your windows.

New windows are expensive to install, but you stand to save quite a bit between reduced energy consumption and tax benefits. The Department of Energy notes that old, outdated, or poorly constructed windows are responsible for 25% to 30% of residential heat gain in the summer and loss in the winter. Triple-pane windows will substantially increase your home’s capacity for insulation.

 

Maintaining an Energy Efficient Home

Taking measures to make your home more energy efficient will support your home appliances and systems, but malfunctions can still arise. When they do, lean on your home warranty to have the issue resolved conveniently, swiftly, and affordably. Liberty Home Guard offers coverage for virtually all major home equipment. You can be sure that we’ll have your back when things don’t go according to plan. Learn more by calling (866)-983-0874 to talk with our team.