In today’s society, everyone’s trying to do
their bit to be a little more green. A great way to do this is by making sure
that your home is as efficient as it can be. The benefit is that it will
probably save you some extra money too!

So let’s talk about a few simple changes you
can make to help the environment, reduce your energy usage, and save some cash
along the way.

Redo the Insulation

Most of the points we will discuss are about
insulating your house as well as you possibly can. This is because if your home
stays warmer, you’ll require less additional energy to heat it. Therefore, you will use
less water, gas, and electricity.

This will help both to save resources and also
to keep your bills down.

Obviously, the easiest way to insulate is by
having proper insulation. With a new build, you are more likely to have decent
quality insulation and probably don’t need to replace it.

However, in older homes, you may wish to find
out what type of insulation you have, in case there’s a more efficient option.

Get the Roof Redone

The roof is one of the critical places to have
the right insulation. If your roof is poorly insulated, it will be extremely
inefficient. Particularly if you use your attic space, bad insulation will mean
the use of more air conditioning in the summer and more heating in the winter.

If you’re planning to get your roof redone any
time soon, then it’s worth replacing the insulation, as well.

Broken shingles, buckling, curling, or water
pooling at the flashings are “some warning signs that may help you identify
potential roof failure.” according to dominionroofing.com. If you notice any of these
signs, then it’s probably worth getting a contractor in to take a look.

Keeping your roof updated and repaired is the
easiest way to ensure that it’s as efficient as possible.

Install Double Glazing

Again, this most likely depends on the age of
your property. Most newer housing will already have double-glazed windows. However, if you have an
older house, then this is a big one to consider.

While double glazing is an investment, it’s
going to give you save you a lot more than it costs in the long-run. Windows
are one of the worst places for losing heat in a home.

Making sure that any windows in your house
have double glazing is going to help to keep the heat in much better. In turn,
this will save both energy and money, making your home much more efficient.

Use Interior Decorating to Your Advantage

Something that you may not have realized is
how much additional insulation you can get from your home furniture. Adding in
some extra decorations to a room can help you to be more energy efficient, so
decorate to your advantage.

A big one for this is having curtains over
your windows. As we mentioned previously, windows are one of the main areas
where heat can escape.

By having heavy fabric curtains in front of
them, you will prevent a fair amount of heat from being lost. This is
particularly beneficial at night, as it will help to keep the room warmer
without leaving the heating turned up.

While carpets are the more efficient floor for
heating, the practicality and aesthetic of hard flooring often wins out.

If you do have lots of hardwood floors in your
home, you can help to save energy by getting some large floor rugs to put down.
These will prevent heat from being lost through the floor and also make them
less cold to walk on.

Conclusion

These are just a few things to consider to
make your home a little more efficient. If you’re already redoing things around
your home, then prioritize these areas to save yourself some money in the long
run. If not, then it’s a few things to think about in the future to reduce your
impact on the environment.