If you feel that it’s time for a home improvement project, it’s important for you to find the best one to do. This should be one that gives you great returns and improves your home’s functionality and aesthetics. Fortunately, there are quite a few of these. Here are five upgrades that you may want to consider.
1. Improving Your Home’s Energy Efficiency
First off, you can work on improving your home’s energy efficiency. You can do this by getting appliances that are more energy-efficient, among other things. Do this bearing in mind the fact that the average yearly electricity consumption for an American residential utility customer in 2019 was 10,649 kilowatthours (kWh). This adds up to an average of roughly 877 kWh per month. If you can bring your energy consumption down, one unit at a time, you’re sure to enjoy considerable savings while leaving a smaller carbon footprint.
2. Working on Your Landscape
Your landscape is a part of your home that you shouldn’t ignore — it’s just as much a part of your home as the indoor spaces. As you update your yard, look for home improvements that will enable you to play an active role in conserving the environment. One good step to take is planting more trees around the house. These can help shield your home from excessive winds and extreme sunlight, which can both cause you to rely heavily on your air conditioner. You could also add a bird feeder or a water feature to attract more nature to your yard, making it a beautiful and green space for all.
3. Installing a Solar System
If you don’t already have a solar system, you should consider installing one. Doing so will enable you to liberate yourself from the grid, and you may have an easier time managing your home’s energy use. Note that merely five years ago, the most efficient solar panel that you could buy was between 17% and 18%. As of 2020, you can get an affordable quote for solar panels ranging from 20% to 23% efficiency regardless of where in the United States you’re located. This makes installing a solar system for your home a green and sustainable solution that will give you great returns after the original setup’s been done.
4. Improving the Plumbing
You can also save considerable amounts of energy in your home by improving your plumbing. This calls for having a plumber look at your plumbing and advise you on the right steps to take. They’ll help you find out if there’s anything amiss, and you’ll reap the benefits of having a solid plumbing system. Don’t ignore any leaks or broken elements in your home, as these can lead to major issues for you down the road, not to mention the fact that they’re a waste of a valuable resource. An additional option to consider is installing modern fixtures that use water more sparingly.
5. Getting a Better Roof
Finally, you could improve your home considerably by installing a better roof. Make sure that it’s made out of the best material for your climate. A new roof can make a massive difference to how much you need to use your HVAC system. This is because, according to This Old House, your attic can reach 150 degrees under the summer sun. Installing the right roof for your home can help you save a lot of energy and decrease the carbon footprint that you leave.
Consider making these five eco-friendly home improvements if you want to improve your home’s energy use. You’ll notice a difference from the moment you make the first change, so aim to get them all done at a rate that’s comfortable for you.
Great ideas! By the way, a programmable thermostat installation can also be a good home improvement. Smart thermostats save energy, by reducing your heating and cooling automatically when it’s not needed.
And don’t forget that reducing energy consumption also reduces the cost of heating and cooling your home.
A smart thermostat is actually a good thing to invest in. Some smart thermostat options include a smart thermostat with 7-day programming, 5-1-1 programming, 5-2 programming, and 1-week programming. It’s important to choose the one which suits your schedule.
A smart thermostat is a GOOD thing, indeed. But it’s also advisable to not mess with your thermostat too extremely or too often. Try not to crank it up or down too frequently, as doing so can cause stress on the heating system’s internal coils and pipe work.
These are great recommendations. However, getting energy-efficient appliances like high-efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems doesn’t always help you save energy. The effectiveness and efficiency of these systems may be highly compromised without proper insulation. Insufficient insulation can cause your HVAC system to work harder and thus generate higher energy costs.
I like the idea of installing modern plumbing fixtures. They can help us save a lot of water (and money!).
Here is a good example: older toilets can use up to 7 gallons a flush, while most high-efficiency toilets use only 1.5 gallons of water per flush or even less.