Energy efficient homes

您可以通过使您的家更多的节能近1200美元来节省一年的平均值。

That’s $36k over the life of an average mortgage.

If you applied that savings to your principal every month, you’ve erased of $16k interest as well.

So next time you feel a draft in your older home, just picture dollar bills disappearing into the great outdoors.

在某种程度上,您精美的手工营业的家可能已经有了一些功能,有助于保持像较厚的墙壁或使用像砖块等材料一样冷却。

但是还有很简单的方法可以在旧房子上完成能量升级。

Follow these tips to building an energy efficient home.

Complete an Energy Audit

Hiring an independent energy auditor is a great first step.

一些州或本地能源公司提供免费的家庭审核。

But even if you have to spend a few hundred dollars to have an energy audit completed, it will certainly pay for itself very quickly.

经过doing a variety of tests from blowing air through the house to test for leaks to using infrared technology to get a high-tech reading of your homes energy weak-spots, you can come up with a baseline of how your home holds heat or cool air.

Be ready to review your energy bills for the year prior as well to help determine the cost-benefit of your potential energy savings.

In addition to checking your house for escaping heat, the audit should also identify other trouble spots.

They may even suggest local, state or government incentive programs and tax rebates that help homeowners with the costs of improving efficiency.

Replace Your Lightbulbs

Changing out older lightbulbs is one of the easiest ways to make your home more energy efficient.

经过replacing your 5 most used lights有效的灯泡可以节省75美元。

多年来,高效的电灯泡变得更具吸引力,现在设计用于几乎所有风格的光线。

如果您正在寻找更柔软的发光甚至彩色光,您可以找到一个将挽救金钱的亮光。

这是一个无需用脑的事,只需要一个小时your time.

Simple Plumbing Improvements

泄漏的水可以是一个巨大的浪费公用事业成本,您可以在20美元以下。

Check your faucets for leaks. Sometimes a turn of a wrench is all you need to keep money from pouring down the drain.

如果厕所不断运行,它可能只需要一个新的挡板或浮子系统。

这些修复很容易,您可能被诱惑成为水管工。

虽然这些修复程序将在每月水费上省钱,但您也可以通过绝缘热水箱,热水管道,热水管道并将水加热器缩小几度来节省足够的能量。

植树

It may be surprising that making your home more efficient could start with a project that doesn’t involve working in your house at all.

A deciduous shade tree will not only help beautify your yard and improve the environment but can help block the sun from directly hitting your home.

在冬季的月份落下时,太阳可以通过空分支,帮助提供一些额外的温暖。

这里有一些种植树木的一些优势.

Replace Windows and Doors

While the walls of older houses are often better insulated than new homes, older windows and doors can be very inefficient.

一些专家表示,70%的家庭能源损失发生在其窗户和门中

较旧的单个窗格窗口几乎没有在家中保持热量或冷,以及双窗框窗口。

If you install new Energy-Star windows with Low-E glass, infrared rays are reflected away from the window keeping solar heat out during the hot summer months.

As for doors, a homeowner should check how big the gaps are surrounding between the slab and the opening.

A 1/8 inch gap at thebottom of your doorway与墙壁钻的2.5英寸孔相同。

如果它包含较旧的玻璃,您可能希望完全更换您的门。

但至少,挡风玻璃和正确安装的门扫将有很长的路要能使您的门道更有效。

If you have more questions,这项服务可能是伸出窗口更换的答案的好地方。

阁楼保温

While your attic is almost certainly insulated, chances are the rolled out fiberglass batting is not cutting it.

Using blown in insulation could cut your energy bill by 15 to 25 percent.

如果你不介意过一点汗水,这是一个easy DIY projectthat could save you $1000 in labor.

In addition to your energy savings, there are also reimbursement credits in many locales.

Efficient HVAC

It’s possible that your HVAC system is working overtime to keep your home at the right temperature.

Proper maintenance including cleaning handler coils, regularly changing filters and hosing down your outdoor unit are things you can easily do yourself.

Even checking that your compressor has good airflow by cutting back vegetation will help keep energy costs down by allowing your system to work correctly.

It is also possible that your system is too old or not the right size for your home.

An undersized cooling system is going to be working way too hard to keep your house cool.

Imagine the gas you would be wasting if your car engine was always revving in the red.

您需要正确尺寸的HVAC才能平稳且有效地运行。

如果您的房屋的区域通常不会因为它们通常是多态应用程序而常用,则MiniSplit Systems也可能是一个很好的解决方案。

您可能不需要在您使用这些房间的时间内保持卧室超级冷或温暖。

One more easy HVAC tip to saving energy is just keeping your thermostat 5-8 degrees lower 8 hours a day.

建立一个节能的家

Just because you live in an older house doesn’t mean you can’t have an energy efficient home.

Follow these tips for building an energy efficient home, and you are guaranteed to see your energy bills start to shrink.

And perhaps just as important, you will be doing your part to照顾环境.

So get out the ladder and start changing those lightbulbs!