There’s no denying the fact that technology is great. It has helped improve our lives in many ways. One great example is how our homes are getting smarter and smarter each year. Now, we can even control most if not all of our appliances at home using just one device or an app in our phones. Given all of these advancements, it’s safe to say that we are also becoming more and more dependent on electricity.
In 2017, the average annual electricity consumption of an average U.S. home was rated at 10,399 kWh. Living in Ohio, this means that you might have spent around $1,300 in electricity alone.
But, did you know that you can actually reduce your electricity consumption while still maintaining the comfort you’re currently enjoying? Such reduction will not only help you save on electricity costs, but also give you a chance to help conserve the planet’s resources.
As your trusted roofing company in Fostoria, OH, we want to guide you in your mission to generate energy savings. In this article, we’re rounding up the smart ways to improve your home with energy efficiency in mind.
Keep Your Roof Cool
About 15% of your total energy consumption goes into cooling your home’s indoor spaces. If there’s a way to reduce the heat absorbed into your home especially during summer, then you can expect that your electricity bills will go down. Although we have generally bearable summers in Ohio, wouldn’t it be great if you can keep your home comfortably cool and not worry about additional energy expense?
A cool roof is basically one that’s designed to reflect away as much sunlight as possible. It also absorbs less heat than a regular roof. As a result, your home’s air conditioning and cooling requirements will be kept to a minimum. If you think your roof is already due for replacement, it will be in your best interest to consider installing a cool roof.
Seal the Home
Air leakage happens when outside heat enters your home and heated indoor air escapes through cracks and openings. This can be a problem throughout the entire year. In summer, hot outside air can get into your home, making it warmer than it’s supposed to be. This leads to the increased need for indoor cooling. On the other hand, during winter, heated indoor air keeps on flowing towards the cold outdoors. As a result, your home’s heating system will work doubly hard just to keep your indoor spaces warm and comfy.
Reducing air leakage in the home is one of the smartest ways to cut both heating and cooling costs. Aside from helping improve home comfort, it also aids in creating a healthier indoor environment.
The most basic yet proven effective forms of air sealing a home are caulking and weatherstripping. Caulking is used to seal cracks and other openings, while weatherstripping is applied on home elements that move, particularly doors and windows. Here are some more tips to seal air leaks in your home:
• Have your home tested for air leaks.
• Apply or replace weatherstripping on windows and doors as necessary.
• Caulk cracks and gaps, which are usually found where plumbing, ductwork, and electrical wiring comes through floors, walls, and ceilings.
• Seal air leaks around chimneys, furnaces, and water heater vents.
• Use foam sealant on larger gaps and cracks.
Ensure Sufficient Insulation
Just like air sealing, home insulation will also keep the heat out and in, whenever needed. This also results in minimized heating and cooling costs throughout the year.
Insulation works by minimizing heat conduction, which refers to the way heat moves through materials. To give you a better idea, imagine dipping a teaspoon in a hot cup of coffee. Conduction happens when the heat from the coffee travels through the spoon.
Heat always flows from the warm spaces and surfaces to cooler ones. Basically, the primary goal of heat is to warm everything in its path. Insulation works to halt the flow of heat. It will keep heated indoor air from escaping through the walls, ceiling, and roof during winter and keep the heat outside where it belongs during summer.
Replace Old Windows and Doors
Windows and doors are significant components of your home’s thermal envelope, or simply put, your home’s heat flow control layer. Heat loss and gain through the windows alone are known to be responsible for up to 30% of a home’s heating and cooling costs. Thus, ensuring that the windows and doors in your home are as energy-efficient as possible will do wonders in generating energy savings.
Needless to say, old and damaged windows and doors do not help you and your home. It’s possible they let heat in and out without you noticing. More often than not, replacement is the best way to counter the disadvantages of old, inefficient windows and doors.
If you’re unsure whether you need new windows and doors, observe for the following signs:
• They are warped and damaged beyond repair.
• There’s condensation inside dual-pane window and door glass.
• Your home always feels cooler or warmer than it’s supposed to.
• There’s mold between and around frames and panes.
• The frames and other metal components are severely rusted.
If you notice any or all of these signs on your windows and doors, it’s highly likely that they’ve been contributing to your home’s unnecessary energy loss and consumption. It will be best to arrange for a window and door replacement service in Fostoria, OH, as soon as possible.
Check the Ductwork
If you have a central air conditioning and heating system at home, then you also have ductwork. This is what’s responsible for distributing the conditioned air throughout your home. As you may have imagined, ductwork is a series of connections and joints, which are all susceptible to leaks. These gaps and leaks can actually be blamed for up to 40% of energy wastage in your home.
With this in mind, it’s necessary to have your ductwork—and your entire HVAC system at that—inspected regularly. This is the only way you will be able to determine problems within the system and prevent it from not only wasting precious energy, but making your home less comfortable and healthy as well.
The Little Things: Other Updates That Can Help Save Energy
Making your home more energy-efficient doesn’t always mean you need to do big changes and investments. Roof, window and door replacements, for instance, require more thorough planning. If you want to get started immediately toward efficiency, you can begin with smaller updates and simpler changes, such as the following:
• Replace your light bulbs with ENERGY STAR® LEDs, especially those that you and your family use often.
• Fix leaky faucets and other plumbing fixtures.
• Lower your water heating temperature.
• Use power management and sleep features on your computer.
• Insulate water heater tank and hot water pipes.
• Use a power strip for electronic devices and equipment and remember to turn it off when the appliances are not in use.
• Turn back the thermostat 10°-15°F for at least 8 hours a day, preferably during the workday.
Indeed, there are a lot of ways to keep your home from consuming unnecessary energy. Regardless of how big or small the changes you take, what’s important is that you’re taking a step towards becoming efficient. So whether you decide to change light bulbs or opt to invest in home window installation in Fostoria, OH, kudos to you!
