There are a lot of benefits you can get by making your home more energy-efficient. A few of these are saving money, making your home more comfortable, less carbon footprint use, and making the environment healthy. 

 

But do you have to spend big bucks to enjoy these benefits? Well, NO. Being energy-efficient doesn’t have to be expensive. 

 

Let us share with you the seven inexpensive ways you can make your home more energy-efficient: 

 

1. Conserve water

By conserving water, you’re not only saving money but also diverting less water from the rivers, bays, and estuaries. This helps keep our environment healthy by reducing carbon pollution. 

 

Here are a few things you can do to conserve water: 

 

• Check any device, equipment, or appliances for leaks. 

• Install WaterSense labeled products as they used 20% less water than regular models. 

• Turning off taps. 

 

Other ways would include watering the plants that only need water or planting plants that are drought resistant. 

 

Do these, and you’ll be saving gallons of water every day, adding more gallons that other people can use in a month. 

 

2. Use CFLs and LED Lights

Other than conserving water, you should also save energy through electricity. You can do this by merely changing your incandescent bulbs (if you still use one) to LED lights or CFLs.

 

Why? Because these two are much cheaper and more energy-efficient than their incandescent counterparts. 

 

If we compare these three: 

 

• Incandescent bulbs waste about 95% of the energy as heat. 

• CFLs can save about 25-35% of energy. 

• LED bulbs cut energy use by 75%

 

Naturally, the best idea is to change all your light bulbs to LED bulbs. But, if your CFLs are still suitable, then no need to replace them yet.

 

3. Unplug unused electronics

Just like with turning off your taps, you should also unplug unused electronics.

 

As you can see, some appliances still use electricity even if turned off as long as they’re plugged. And these little drips of power can add more costs to your electricity bill. 

 

Yes, unplugging appliances can be a hassle, but it’s worth it. So, teach children at your home to not only turn off devices unused but also to unplug them. 

 

4. Perform an energy audit

Having an energy audit would determine how much energy you’ve consumed and how much energy you would have potentially saved.

 

This is advisable for extensive facilities that would like to lower their energy costs and spend it on the more money-generating areas of the business. 

 

5. Buy energy star products

We’ve already mentioned buying WaterSense-labeled products to conserve water. You can do the same with electricity by replacing your appliances (little by little) with energy star products.

 

With energy-efficient appliances, you’ll be able to save 10-50% of energy from your standard appliances. These appliances tend to last longer, too. Imagine how much money you can keep in the long run. 

 

Here are some appliances that have energy star alternatives: 

 

• Clothes washers and dryers

• Refrigerators and freezers

• Dehumidifiers

• Air cleaners and purifiers

• Air conditioner

 

6. Replace your desktop computer

Like with other appliances, you should be able to find computers with energy star ratings or certifications. This is very helpful for offices, saving them more money every year. 

 

If you’re looking for a computer for personal use, a laptop should be more energy-efficient than a desktop. It uses an average of 20-50 watts electricity, compared to a desktop that uses 60-200 watts of electricity.

 

You can reduce this further by putting your laptop in power saving mode. But if you can’t replace your desktop yet, here are a few ways you’ll save energy: 

 

• Put your desktop on sleep mode every time you’re away from the keyboard.

• Use a lower-quality video card, unless you’re in an industry that needs quick graphics. 

• Turn it off when not in use. 

• Don’t use screensavers as they don’t really do anything but still eat up energy. 

• Avoid turning your desktop on and off repeatedly. 

 

7. Install a heat pump

A heat pump gives you heat inside your home by moving it from one source to another. This is what makes it energy-efficient because it no longer has to convert heat from fuels and other sources. 

 

But what makes heat pump even better than its alternatives, is that it can also cool your home by reversing the process. So, you would no longer need an air conditioner and a heater at the same time. 

 

Besides, the typical heat pump installation in Auckland don’t cost a lot. And think about the money you spend as a good investment. 

 

Saving energy at home shouldn’t be hard or a hassle. Sometimes, doing tiny things can already make a big difference. If you need to invest in new appliances or equipment, don’t hesitate. Instead, think about the money and energy you’ll save every month, year, and in the long run.