When you are feeling like you’ve done all that you can do and just can’t seem to save money on your energy bills, it may be due to the fact that your home was not designed for efficient energy use.

It hasn’t been long that we really have to pay attention to the energy efficiency of our homes, but nowadays it is a hot topic.

We are facing pressures from climate change and the planet’s continued use of fossil fuels. Politics aside, we can all agree that we want to pay less for power and accomplishing this has to do with living responsibly and sustainably. It can begin by making sure that your home is efficiently using energy. Don’t worry, you won’t have to move or build a new home. It is possible to design your living space in such a way that maximizes energy efficiency and helps you live more within your means.

Windows

One of the first things you should check in your home are your windows. Take a look at the glass, does it have a tint or a coating? If there isn’t a film over it, you could look into insulating film and glaze options that are available. A company that specializes in windows will be able to provide a quote and assess your options. Glass that is high quality and has glazing keeps the heat in and the cold out, saving you money.

Window frames are also important. What type of material they are made out of matters, keeping the heat in. Various frames have different insulation properties. Purchasing the right ones can help you decrease the amount of energy used to help you reduce the energy appliances need. Heaters and conditioners are affected by materials that conduct more or less heat.

Believe it or not the colour of your blinds and how thick curtains and drapes are also make a difference. In addition to insulation and ventilation of your windows, lighter colours reflect solar heat and darker shades attract it. You should consider changing the colour to reflect the surface on the back, which could help you reduce the energy used to cool your home. In addition, heavy fabrics can increase insulation and reduce the loss of heat. As it turns out, windows and the materials that cover them are very important to keep heat in and the cold out.

Shading

Shading around your outside can reduce the amount of heat that enters your home. This can reduce the temperature inside so you can require less cooling. Like blinds and curtains, the colour of your external shading affects your energy efficiency. Shading will effectively stop heat from entering the home during the summer months if it is reflective. Using plants to shade your home is a good choice, and the types of plants can really make a difference. For example, evergreen plants suit humid climates and can be positioned to the east and west. Deciduous plants are suitable for other climates and should be placed in the north.

Overall Insulation

What your house is built out of is incredibly important. Bricks, blocks, polystyrene sheets, and straw bales are all modern materials that provide good insulation. Unfortunately less can be done about this, but you can renovate your home if you own it and are looking to stay for a while. Furthermore, ceiling and roof insulation affects it as well. You should consider installing or topping up insulation to the correct thickness in order to help reduce heat transfer.

The same goes for the wall and floor insulation. According to the site MoneyPug, which is used as a way to switch energy supplier, installing insulation in wall cavities around stud frames and within solid walls can help you save up to 20 percent of the energy used for heating and cooling. In addition, downright protectors reduce heat loss by sealing around your lights.

Draught-Proofing

Making sure that your home is in tip-top shape for winter is key to keeping heat in. Draught-proofing includes many of the insulation and window checks above, but it also includes electrical points, exposed piping, electrical, or telephone lines, and the bottoms and edges of your doors. All of this matters, and since heat is one of the most expensive things it makes the home much more energy efficient to ensure that heat is not escaping.

These are just a few of the measures you can take to make a more energy efficient home. Take the time to learn about not just design but the construction of your home and you will learn a lot about how to make it more efficient.

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