Your home is the best place to start if you’re serious about living sustainably.
There’s a lot you can do to reduce energy waste and lower your carbon footprint, whether you own a property or are renting.
This home energy saver checklist contains practical and doable steps that can make a real difference to you and the planet.
Energy-Saving Practices That Don’t Cost a Thing
Sustainable living doesn’t require you to spend thousands or completely change your lifestyle. A few tweaks to your energy usage can set the wheel in motion.
Find Comfort Without the Guilt
A programmable thermostat helps you set optimal temperatures during different times of the day or when you’re away.
For further savings, use ceiling fans or close blinds to keep your room cooler.
Unplug Unused Electronics
Many appliances still draw power even when turned off.
So, don’t forget to pull power plugs before leaving the house or when you’re not using them.
Save Water
You should be the only one guzzling water in your home.
Use low-flow showerheads to conserve water and the energy needed for hot water heating.
Wash your clothes in cold water and only run full loads when washing the dishes. Better yet, hand-wash them whenever possible.
Nothing Beats Natural Light
Forget about lighting bulbs.
Open your windows or draw your curtains to let daylight in. At night, use LED light bulbs to illuminate your spaces.
Be Mindful When Cooking
Minimize heat in the kitchen by ditching ovens with smaller appliances whenever possible.
Don’t forget to cover pots and pans to prevent heat from escaping.
Maintaining sound operations and maintenance practices doesn’t require too much effort or specialized training.
Still, they translate to lower energy consumption that reflects on your utility bills.
Let a Home Energy Audit Guide You
Sometimes, low-cost measures aren’t enough to get the results you want. But choosing which projects make the most impact can be frazzling.
Seeking professional help through a home energy audit is key.
Your energy assessment could include a blower door test to measure a building’s airtightness and energy efficiency.
More advanced methods include using an infrared camera for thermal imaging.
Auditors also perform duct leakage testing for the same purpose but mainly targeting your HVAC system.
Devices that run on gas can pose serious but often unseen hazards when they malfunction.
Home energy auditors use different types of safety tests to detect gas leaks and carbon monoxide emissions.
A home energy audit is the first step to making homes energy efficient because it reveals the biggest energy wasters.
It takes home inspections to the next level by providing a roadmap for improvements.
Improve Insulation and Seal Leaks
Your home energy assessment might discover air leaks that force your HVAC systems to work harder than they should.
A quick trip to your favorite hardware is enough to improve your energy management capabilities:
· Apply caulk on the gaps and fix cracks around your doors and windows.
· Hire professionals to identify and install the best home insulation option. For quick fixes, you can use an proper insulation blower to fill spaces in certain parts of your home.
· Call a technician to address problems in your duct sealing.
· Add a vapor barrier to block moisture from moving through the ceilings and walls.
· Install storm windows to reduce heat transfer and drafts when fixing or replacing old ones.
Securing your doors and windows not only promotes energy efficiency.
It safeguards your home from potential break-ins and complements your property’s digital security well.
Strategically Upgrade Your Appliances
For decades, light fixtures and appliances were built for function and form.
Energy-saving technology was unheard of until consumers understood the urgency of switching to sustainable practices.
Today, the market is flooded with tools and devices with ENERGY STAR labels, making it the gold standard for energy efficiency.
Such appliances carry a higher price tag, but you don’t have to worry about burning your savings You don’t need to sweep your home clean of costly old machines.
Start with daily workhorses like refrigerators and air conditioners. Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs if you haven’t yet.
Heat Up or Cool Down With a Purpose
Heating and cooling devices are responsible for over half of a household’s annual energy consumption, according to a 2023 government report.
Keeping them in tip-top shape is your quickest route to bigger savings and a smaller carbon footprint.
Schedule annual maintenance checks for your furnace, boiler, or air conditioner. Doing this diligently prevents minor issues that turn into costly replacements.
Regularly replacing HVAC filters also helps.
Check whether your water heater needs an upgrade.
Traditional tank models are notoriously power-hungry because they produce heat for water heating.
Heat pumps are better alternatives because they transfer heat from the air to the water instead of generating it.
Start shopping for a modern forced-air furnace, if home heating bills threaten to ruin your holidays.
These models generally work better and use less energy compared to other options.
Most have power-saving features but check their annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating to be sure.
A higher score means better performance and savings.
Consider Smart Home Technologies
Some may think that smart home devices are counterintuitive, but they’re missing the point. These tools consume energy, but they also enable proactive control.
Some modern HVAC systems, for example, have occupancy sensors that turn the unit on when a person enters the room and off when no one’s around.
Its smart thermostat adjusts the temperature and airflow based on the number of people around.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) work together as smart energy management tools that monitor and optimize energy use.
They study your behavior and the weather patterns to prioritize efficiency while maintaining comfort and functionality.
Go Solar
Fossil fuel usage is a major contributor to climate change. One of the many great ways to reduce its impact is to switch to clean home energy solutions.
Generate your own green energy by installing solar panels or availing of community solar initiatives in your area.
The latter is a great option for households that want to participate in energy-saving programs but can’t afford the upfront costs.
Homeowners with properties unsuitable for installation will also find it beneficial.
Start Small, Win Big
Living sustainably doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort or spending a fortune. It involves making thoughtful energy-saving improvements that match your values and budget.
You don’t have to resort to grand and sweeping gestures, either. Start with one of two changes and build from there.
Note that this checklist is a roadmap that you can revisit and refine.
Adapting your practices not just saves you energy and money.
You’re also building a more resilient home for the future.
