As the age of a home increases, it will likely become less energy efficient. As a result of this, an older home tends to have higher energy bills than a new one. The good news is that you can explore numerous means to reduce your energy bill in an older home.
Below, we will explain 5 ways to lower the energy bill in an older home.
- Install a smart or programmable thermostat
A programmable thermostat is a thermostat that you can set to turn itself on and off at a particular time. Similarly, a smart thermostat can regulate itself to ensure that it suits the current temperature inside the room. Therefore, such a smart thermostat guarantees that you can manage the temperatures in your home easily and quickly. When this happens, your energy bill will reduce.
- Upgrade the windows and doors
If your older home has regular windows and doors, you are bound to have issues with heat transfer. Hence, you may need to rely heavily on the heating and cooling system to keep your home comfortable in different seasons. Consequently, your energy bill will be high.
Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about this as you can upgrade the products to energy-efficient windows and doors. The energy-efficient windows will lower heat gain by as much as 70% during the summer. These windows and doors can also reduce heat loss from your home during the winter. As a result of this, your energy bill will fall drastically.
- Use energy-efficient bulbs
Nowadays, everyone uses LED bulbs because they are energy efficient. According to the US Department of Energy, LED lights consume 75% less energy than other types such as incandescent bulbs. Over time, this can go a long way in making a big difference in the overall energy bill of your older home.
So, you should switch the bulbs in your older house to LED bulbs. Notably, these bulbs are available in different stores around your neighborhood.
- Unplug electrical devices in your home
After using our electrical devices, many of us are fond of leaving them plugged into the energy sources. Even if the devices have been switched off, plugging the devices into the energy sources can still lead to some amount of energy consumption. As a result of this, these devices will add to your energy bills even when you are not using them for anything.
Therefore, one of the proven ways to reduce the energy bill in your older home is to unplug electrical devices. From your television to washing machine, fans, gaming consoles, microwaves, electric cookers, etc., make sure you unplug them when you are not using them.
- Upgrade and maintain your HVAC system
If your older home has an outdated HVAC system, it is likely that the system is not energy efficient. Consequently, the system will not be able to function optimally; thus, increasing your energy bills. Therefore, it is crucial to invest some money in upgrading your HVAC system. Besides, you should ensure that the system is maintained regularly by professionals.
By doing everything above, you will be able to reduce the energy bill in an older home.