It’s currently possible to make your home more energy-efficient and enjoy spending less, while also leaving a smaller effect on the environment. Here’s how you can go about doing that and set a great example for everyone visiting your home.

Buy Energy-Efficient Appliances

There’s currently a large number of energy-efficient appliances on the market, and, according to Home Guide, it’s common for companies to offer warranties from 3 to 10 years. This means that you can make plans to buy new appliances and dispose of any old ones you have that don’t perform well as far as energy efficiency goes. Check online and ask friends and family what appliances they use and how they perform, and this information will help you find something that works for your needs and budget. While it may seem like an additional cost up-front, the appliances will pay for themselves in the savings you will make.

Seal Your Door and Windows

Gaps and cracks in your doors and windows can make you lose a large amount of energy through heating over time. When you can’t keep all the treated air indoors, you’re losing money through the windows as this air wafts outside and is exchanged with cold drafts. Put a stop to this by sealing your doors and windows with caulk. You can get this easily from a hardware store near you and do it in one afternoon. It will be worth your while and you will notice an immediate change in the amount of money you spend on keeping your house warm.

Fix Your Plumbing

Plumbing is another area that you shouldn’t forget about, so perform an inspection to find out if there are any leaks or fixtures that need to be fixed. Doing this will help you stop losing water that you’ve paid for, and it will also help you improve the environment by not wasting water. You should also make sure to maintain your pipes and drains, avoiding leaving them in a less-than-ideal state. This is made more urgent as an estimation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that almost half of the 400,000 sewer blockages that occur each year are a result of grease.

Switch to LED Lights

If your home still has incandescent bulbs, it’s time to switch to LED. Apart from giving you a longer period of service, they also produce less heat when they burn and consequently save you a lot of energy around the house. In these two ways, you can save a lot of money over time just as a result of getting LED lights for every room in your home.

Prioritize Predictive Maintenance

Well-maintained appliances run optimally and therefore consume less energy than those that aren’t. They also have a lower chance of undergoing a breakdown that will cost a lot of time and money to fix. This means that you stand to enjoy convenience while making savings if you take the time to schedule regular maintenance for all your home appliances. According to the Department of Energy, predictive maintenance has been found to be able to reduce the overall costs of industrial maintenance by up to 30%, decrease breakdowns by over 70%, and reduce downtime by up to 45%. This makes it worth your while to have experts check your appliances and keep them working as they should.

These tips should show you just how easy it is to create a home that’s more energy-efficient. Start practicing them right away and you will not only make savings while improving the state of the environment, but you will also set an amazing example for everyone around you.