Energy efficiency is important, and is much easier to achieve than you may think! Whether you have recently moved, or are just tired of paying sky-high utility bills in your home, there are plenty of steps you can take to prepare for a much more affordable summer! Every house is different, but here are a few common adjustments you an easily make in your home to boost the overall energy efficiency today!
Insulation should be a key factor in your energy efficiency efforts. The temperature outside and the temperature for a preferred and comfortable indoor environment tend to be radically different from one another –especially during the summer! Applying weather-stripping is an easy and affordable fix for drafty doors and windows. There are also inexpensive insulation options for walls and attics in your home. Like weather stripping, insulation can be purchased at a local home-improvement store and often comes with a cost-free rental of the necessary machines for blowing the insulation filling into place.
The type of windows you have in your home are important as well! You should opt for double pane glass. Glass itself is not very effective in insulation the home at all. However; double pane windows provide the advantage of a gas layer in between the two panes which is effective in maintaining the temperature inside the home.
If you haven’t upgraded the light bulbs in your house to the much more efficient fluorescent options which are now widely available, you should do so now! You can save nearly 10% on your energy bill by making the switch. Imagine how much you can save by upgrading your bulbs and also making it a point to be turn lights off when not in use!
Ice is something that is especially comforting during the sizzling summer heat. If you have an ice maker, you should consider turning it off more often or even going back to ice cube trays for your ice production needs! The machinery that operates the ice maker in your freezer is an energy hog since it operates in such a cold temperature, your ice maker could be responsible for 15 to 20 percent of your power bill!
Again, these are only a few common examples of improvements which you can easily make to increase the energy efficiency in your home to drastically lower your bills this summer! If you are moving to a new home, make sure that your home is not robbing you each month by being an energy waster! Also, since the topic of saving money is on the table, anybody moving in Phoenix this summer should hire professional movers with a good reputation! Hiring the wrong company can end up costing you more than you think –which you may already know if you’ve ever chosen to hire a Phoenix mover just because the company had the lowest hourly rate you could find! The summer is a busy time for the moving industry so hire your movers soon so that you can take advantage of the lower rates which are still available to early birds!