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About half of the homes in the U.S are under insulated. Insulation provides resistance to heat flow; the more resistance, the less it costs to heat and cool your home. Insulation is necessary in older and newer homes but as a general rule, the older a home is, the more insulation is needed.
Wash your clothes with cold water instead of hot to reduce energy. Also try doing larger loads of laundry to cut down on the amount of loads you do and use environmentally friendly detergents/soaps.
You may have heard about how fast bamboo grows; it is in fact, one of the fastest growing plants! This makes it a more environmentally friendly option, rather than one of the other hard-wood flooring products. It looks lovely and is easy to clean!
Swap out your old lighbulbs for some energy efficient ones! Better quality said to last longer!
Solar energy is on the rise. It is renewable, can decrease your energy costs by 50 percent, and on average costs 15 thousand to install. Depending on where you live, you might get to put zero down on the installation and you can receive a hefty tax deduction! Invest the money in solar upfront and the benefits and savings will come!
Instead of filling the water kettle up all of the way, try only filling it up with the amount you will use. Less water means less energy used! Showers use less water than baths; do you take long showers? Try reducing the length of your showers gradually to save water.
Seal any gaps that you find in windows, around doors, floorboords, or air gaps around outlets and switch boxes to avoid cool arit form getting in, and warm air from getting out.
Geothermal systems use the earth’s temperature to heat and cool your home. Installation on average costs about 30k. Pipes are installed 6-7 feet underground and hot and cold water is circulated through through pipes in the home to heat and cool it. Geothermal energy is efficient, green, and super cool! Like solar, there are federal tax credits available and typically you start to see a return on your investimate in 3-5 years.
Install a low-flow shower head and toilet. A low flow shower head can reduce your water usage by 15-20 gallons of water a day!
As an alternative to cranking up the heat this fall and winter, throw on another layer of clothes and snuggle up to your pet(s)! My cats are a great source of natural heating and Langston (pictured above) loves to cuddle up after a long day.
Sources:
http://inhabitat.com/infographic-a-guide-to-improving-the-energy-efficiency-of-your-home-2/
http://inhabitat.com/infographic-50-ways-your-home-could-help-save-the-planet/
http://blog.blinds.com/5-surprising-ways-your-home-is-losing-energy/
http://energy.gov/energysaver/insulation
