How to Make Your Home Energy Efficient

When my husband and I built our home four years ago, we decided to take every opportunity to save money, by making our home more energy efficient. We incorporated different ideas and so far our electric and propane costs have been reasonable due to our efforts. With little changes everyone can benefit by making their home more energy efficient.

The first thing we did was install four big windows on the southern wall of the house. During the winter when the sun is shining in the windows, it actually heats the house a bit. They are located in the living room where our family spends the most time. Windows on any walls that receive a lot of sunshine, can warm up a house by three degrees or more.

Air conditioning can cost just as much, if not more then heat. We live in an area where it is not unusual to go to 100 degrees or over in the summer. So we bought nine ceiling fans. They are located in every room and have saved us a lot of money. We rarely use the air conditioner at night and rely on the two ceiling fans in the bedroom for cooling. There are three ceiling fans in the living room area and they work fine on summer nights. Although in most places an air conditioner is needed during the day, at night these fans work just fine.

Radiant floor heating is an option anyone can use if they have a crawl space or basement. This method can be expensive to install but the savings are worth it. Tubing is placed beneath the floor and hot water is pumped through, so the heat comes from the floor. I no longer have the cold feet in the winter and no more huge electric bill either. We installed our system when we built the home. But the system can be installed in any home with a crawl space.

Fire places and wood stoves can cut heating costs. Especially if you have access to wood. If not, using propane can be an option as long as you do not count on the fireplace to heat the entire home. If used in addition with a heating system this works fine. Just make sure to purchase propane in the summer when the prices are down. In the winter they can be doubled.

When attempting to save money it is fine to try to look for sales. But knowing how to cut down on energy costs can really make a difference at the end of a year.