I’m sure everybody wants to be cost effective in every aspect of their lives, even in the smallest of things. What more if we’re talking about homes? Being penny wise, what can you do to lessen household expenses and at the same time maintain a healthy living? Many home builders have found a solution to this, with the advent of energy efficient homes. Have you heard of them? You may be wondering what is energy efficiency and how it is achieved in terms of home building. Let’s now know more.
Many home builders find it practical to have an energy efficient home. With all the benefits it provides, it’s not surprising at all why a lot of people have turned to this. Aside from having a reduced energy consumption, your home will be more comfortable and even healthier. Just imagine the significant money savings and healthier living conditions you’ll get. I’m pretty sure you’ll wish you have an energy efficient home from the start. But it’s not yet too late. You too can have an energy efficient home. There are a lot of factors that make a residential home energy efficient. It doesn’t matter whether you have a new or an existing home.
When you are in the planning stage of constructing your home, it is better to incorporate energy efficiency right from the start though. Several home builders do this and the usual result is complete satisfaction. If you have a passive solar design, it will diminish supplementary need for light and heat sources. Overhangs, glazed windows and cool roofing materials will lessen the need for air conditioning. From this alone, you’ll save much money. Isn’t it practical to have your home designed this way? But if you already have an existing home, improving it is not a problem too. You can still have an energy efficient home. With the advanced energy efficient strategies and effective available products, it’s still possible.
In terms of what is used to build or improve your home, don’t settle for substandard materials. Look for light building materials that have an Energy Star rating like most home builders use. It the same when you’re upgrading your appliances. Energy Star rating is a validation that the products and services are energy efficient. The U.S. government even promotes this program for the benefit of the consumers so that you will be assured that the products with Energy Star rating are of high quality. These measures will definitely increase the energy efficiency of your home.
One factor that can contribute to an energy efficient home is the insulation. Make sure that your home is well insulated and that there are no leaks even in the most isolated areas such as the attic. Hidden cracks, no matter how small they are, permit airflow, which will eventually make the heating and cooling systems dysfunction if left unattended. Worse, you’ll end up with shocking utility bills. So, check every corner of your home, from the crawlspaces to the attic, and ensure that there are no more cracks. Home builders make sure they have proper insulation for it is the cheapest way to improve energy efficiency.
We now focus on the heating and cooling systems. Do you know that these systems can contribute approximately to half of your total energy consumption? Thus, if it’s not much of a necessity, just turn it off. Also, perform a regular inspection of the filters and change whenever necessary. See to it that you have sealed and insulated well the ducts to increase efficiency of the unit. Aside from having an energy efficient home, you’ll have lower utility bills too.
Some home builders don’t realize this, but it is important to have an energy efficient home. In fact, it should be your priority. With the advantages mentioned above, there’s no way that you should not consider an energy efficient home.
Leave a Reply