Make Your Home More Energy Efficient This New Year

Make Your Home More Energy Efficient This New Year

The following contribution is from another author.

When it comes to making your home more energy efficient, there tend to be two primary motivations – either to save the planet or to save money;  in any event, both are great motivations, so in this article we’re going to take a look at how to make your home more efficient this year, particularly when it comes to the cold weather many of us are currently experiencing.

1) TURN DOWN THE THERMOSTAT

When you get into the house and feel cold, your instinct is often to reach for the thermostat and turn the dial up to a high setting.  The challenge with this, of course, is that it uses a lot more energy than maintaining a consistent heat within your home.

For this reason, if you need a sudden blast of heat to feel warm and cozy, consider getting a space heater. Now, these are known for being energy draining, yet it is better to use a fan heater for sixty seconds to satiate your need for a big warm blast rather than turning the central heating up a few degrees, which will take time. 

2) MAKE USE OF A TIMER

The majority of modern thermostats come with a timer. In fact, many modern systems can now be operated by remote, as you are coming home from work. Today, modern technology is making everything more efficient – including our energy consumption. The simple process of timing when your heating kicks in can save a lot of energy.

3) USE BLINDS

You’ll be surprised how much heat escapes from double glazed windows.  You therefore might want to consider checking out Next Day Blinds to help insulate your windows.  Of course, curtains will make a huge difference as well; in fact, for the most energy efficient solution you will want both blinds and curtains.

4) LIMIT THE NUMBER OF ROOMS YOU HEAT

A simple solution to make your home more energy efficient is to simply limit the number of rooms you heat.  This way, you can halve your energy consumption by heating only the rooms you spend plenty of time in. Just be sure to shut the door of the rooms that you’re not using.

5) UTILIZE CLOSE HEAT SOURCES

The idea of taking a hot water bottle to bed might feel quite old fashioned, yet there’s something about the smell of a hot water bottle and the feel of it against your skin at night  that brings comfort like nothing else – creating a sense of childhood comfort, perhaps, that is hard to replace with modern technology.

There’s also the option of a more modern electric blanket, some of which have the function to track your sleep and body temperature to vary how much heat it exudes. Many are more simplistically dual zoned – meaning each person sharing a  bed can control how much heat is on their side.

It’s never been easier to be more energy efficient.

Author

Eric is the creator of At Home in the Future and has been a passionate fan of the future since he was seven. He's a web developer by trade, and serves as the Director of Communication and Technology for a large church in Nashville, TN (where he and his family are building a high tech home in the woods).

1 comment

  • 6) Consider an intelligent technology like Wondrwall.
    The Wondrwall home learns and works around you, observing how you actually live, which rooms you spend the most times in and how you use heating and lighting. The technology plots the optimal running of your home while making continual improvements. Using machine learning and predictive modelling to make intelligent decisions to control your home efficiently, save you money and to make your home more comfortable and safer.
    http://www.wondrwall.co.uk

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