Many of us are as concerned with helping protect the environment as we are with controlling home energy usage and costs. The good news is it can actually be easier than you think to do both. Paying attention to the following tips for greater home energy efficiency can pay dividends to the planet — and to your wallet. *
- Properly insulate – Ensuring your home is properly insulated can lower both heating and cooling costs as well as help make your home more comfortable.
- Buy and use energy-efficient appliances – Energy Star® is a program from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that certifies products based on their energy efficiency characteristics. When you shop for appliances, let the Energy Star® designation be your guide to products that will save you money while helping protect the environment.
- Make your home “smart” – Smart devices take advantage of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. They connect to the Internet so you can easily automate your home to make it both more convenient and energy efficient. As an example, your smart thermostat can be programmed to maintain an ideal temperature while your family is present, and to save energy when you’re all away from the home. In addition, it can adapt to your schedules to more effectively control energy usage which helps lower electric bills. If you’ve invested in other smart technology such as smart lighting, smart security systems or others, these are often compatible and can connect via a smart hub. A smart hub will allow you or other users to control these devices centrally and together.
- Convert to solar panels – This one-time investment could pay off in terms of lower energy bills for decades. Depending on your location, you might be able to further benefit through tax rebates for the conversion to solar.
Whether you’re looking for a new home or about to undertake a few simple improvements, consider investing in today’s most advanced home energy-saving technological solutions. You’ll save money over time – and immediately start contributing to a greener environment.
© 2020 FirstEnergy Home
*From Quicken Loans: What You Need to Know About Buying an Energy-Efficient House
