9 Factors That Are Secretly Affecting Your Home’s Energy Efficiency | The Listing Team

With prices continuously rising, you must search for areas in your life where you can cut costs. An excellent way to add more money to your pocket is to assess which parts of your home you could improve. Energy efficiency goes a long way, and it can potentially save you hundreds of hundred dollars every year if you make enough repairs or upgrades. Here are just a few of the areas you can start examining in your home.

1. Insulation

Just because your home has insulation doesn't mean it's serving you well. Your insulation could be old and thinning out. Your house needs thick insulation to protect you from the extreme weather outside. Without insulation, you may lose up to a quarter of your heating and cooling costs just to regulate the temperature in areas of your home you don't go to that often, such as your attic.

To fully replace your insulation, you may have to pay upwards of $1,500, depending on the size of your house and the thickness of the replacement insulation. Still, it's a worthwhile investment – especially since you'll be paying that much or more in energy losses over the next few months.

2. Drafty Windows

Nobody likes a draft in their windows and doors. Drafty windows alone can cause you to lose up to $400 per year in energy losses. Replacing your windows is always the best option, but if you don't have the resources for brand-new ones, you can opt for caulking.

Go around every window and door in your house and search for gaps that allow air in from the outside. With a caulking gun, simply go around the cracks and fill them up. You can smooth the caulk out afterward, and it’ll look like a normal part of the window. It's an easy DIY solution that anyone can implement.

3. Heating and Cooling

What do you do with your heating and cooling when you're away from home? If you turn it down so you're not using as much energy when you're either sleeping or not at home, you can save around $180 a year. It might be tough to remember to scale the temperature back, but the savings could be worth it.

Since most of your energy bill is heating and cooling costs, it's worth it to take every step you can to avoid paying extra. Try opening windows when it's warm or using blankets in cold weather to supplement the heat. You'll still be using your heating and cooling, but it may not take as much of a toll on your wallet.

4. Drapes and Curtains

Window coverings are a force for good in the world of energy. Some types of curtains, especially blackout curtains, can reduce the cost of your heating bill and serve as an easy sound barrier that can block noise from the outside. They're an easy way to keep heat in your home when it's cold, but they can run over $100 a pair for high-quality ones. It all depends on the kind of quality you want. A greater investment might mean more dollars saved in the long run.

5. Roofing

Your roof can also impact how much you spend a month on your energy bill. You should always have your roof inspected right after you buy a house or when you suspect something might be wrong with it. Taking care of your roof can help shelter your household from the weather and keep it out of your temperature-controlled home.

As solar panels decrease in price, you may consider adding one or more to your roof. In 25 years, you can save tens of thousands of dollars on your energy bills, allowing the panels to pay for themselves. Installing solar panels is a great way to promote green living with renewable energy – as long as you don't mind the up-front cost and view it as more of an investment.

6. How It’s Built

Before buying a home, look into how they're built. It's impossible to tell how much you could lose during your lifetime in a mobile or poorly manufactured home, but newer models seek to improve the standard.

New manufactured homes strive to be almost 30% more energy-efficient than their older counterparts by adding more insulation and caulking around gaps, among other things. These newer models are less expensive and more comfortable, meaning you don't have to worry about extra funds slipping down the drain.

7. LED Lighting

LED lighting is a brighter, more energy-efficient lighting technology than the traditional lightbulb. If you haven't already switched to long-lasting LED bulbs, now is the time to change them out. Just switching a few of your lightbulbs from traditional ones to LEDs can save you over $500 a year in energy costs. While LED bulbs may cost more upfront, they pay for themselves by being low-maintenance and long-lasting.

8. Outdated Appliances

Eventually, everything wears down and starts to not work as well as it used to. The same is true for your appliances. Your old appliances – those over 10 years old – steal energy. By replacing an old refrigerator, your household might save around $100 or more each year.

When you upgrade your appliances, you can make sure they meet the current energy standard. Plus, you get an upgrade with all-new features, so it's a win-win situation for you and the environment.

9. Ghost Charging

Ghost charging occurs when you leave electronic cords plugged into your outlets, despite not currently charging or powering anything. Also known as "phantom charging," this simple behavior is easy to leave unchecked, but it can add up on your energy bills.

You might lose up to $200 a year just by leaving things plugged in when you're not using them. This habit might be hard to break, but all you need to do is consciously remind yourself to unplug devices when they're not in use – then, you can save around 10% of your energy bill.

Strive for Energy Efficiency in All Rooms

You likely can’t convert your home to be energy-efficient right away. As with most home renovations, you’ll need to take it step by step and start with the easy things. Today, you might start with replacing your traditional lightbulbs with LED ones. Down the line, you may consider installing solar panels for the long-term financial and environmental benefits.

Whatever changes you make, you can feel at ease knowing you’re helping both the planet and your wallet.