5 Affordable Ways To Design An Energy-Efficient Home
Ever thought of building your own house? What are the first few things that come to your mind? In the olden days, you would prioritize only the design, backyard, size, and color palette of your rooms. However, now the times have changed.
People have started considering environment-friendly and sustainable ways of living. If you are looking for ways to create an energy-efficient home, you’ve come to the right place.
We have covered a few essential points to provide you with the information you need. And yes, these trends can be easily applied to your homes in Pakistan as well.
In this blog, Agency21 elaborates 5 ways to design an energy-efficient home for you!
What are energy-efficient homes?
Energy-efficient homes conserve energy by reducing wasted energy and greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, this act reduces future costs and provides a healthy living environment for the society.
Any home can be energy-efficient. One does not necessarily have to transform their houses entirely. Older homes can be upgraded to enhance energy performance. People can also improve their habits in terms of energy usage to be efficient.
Benefits of energy-efficient homes
Whenever we think about building an energy-efficient home, an image of luxury and expensive items surrounds our minds. However, that’s not the case- these eco-friendly houses reduce costs in the long run, e.g., utility bills have proven to be lesser after using energy-saving products.
This might be news for you- with energy-efficient homes comes cheaper insurance! Many insurance companies give discounts to people who utilize energy-efficient home appliances, windows, electricity, etc., in their homes.
Not only will they benefit you, but they will also be highly favorable for the planet. With scarce resources available on Earth, we must protect the surroundings and efficiently utilize energy to prolong it for our future generations.
There’s only a win-win situation when it comes to making your home energy-efficient. Houses with no energy efficiency tend to be uncomfortable and nondurable. You may notice a huge difference in indoor temperatures in different parts of the house. One room might be too cold while the other might be normal. To counter this, one can maximize their comfort through insulation or weatherstripping. This will allow natural ventilation providing more comfort.
5 ways to create an energy-efficient home for yourself
Changing your property into an energy-saving household is relatively easy in today’s world. There are several ways you can improve energy efficiency in your homes.
Here are a few affordable and easy ways we have gathered to help you out:
- Invest in LED Light Bulbs:
According to research, installing LED lighting in your homes has proven to be the most energy-saving and sustainable. Replacing LED light bulbs with traditional lighting can lead to a lot of cost-saving. They have a lifetime of approximately 100,000 hours, thus reducing the need to replace bulbs repeatedly.
Another advantage of LED bulbs is that they are recyclable, thus reducing the carbon footprint. Quality materials are used in the manufacturing process as they are non-toxic and can also tolerate harsh weather conditions.
- Purchase energy-efficient switches
As surprising as it sounds, energy-efficient switches can reduce your utility bills by an incredible amount, and they also positively impact the environment. Using switches made of silicon and are small in size are two examples of energy-saving switches.
These switches use a minimal amount of energy, resulting in lesser heat. Even if you leave your gadgets turned on unintentionally, automatic switches recognize that they are not in use, and thus they turn off the power.
- Use low-flow shower faucets
One of the most convenient and affordable ways of turning your home energy-efficient and environmentally friendly is the installation of low-flow showerheads.
People avoid low-flow shower faucets because they have a common perception that low-flow means low pressure; however, that is not the case. At such a low price, these can save up water consumption by 50 percent.
- Install a rainwater harvesting system
The most convenient way to save water is to recycle it. Installing rainwater harvesting systems can help collect rainwater that can be used in numerous ways. You can water your garden, clean your car, and even flush your toilets with it.
Some householders even install purifiers to utilize cleaner rainwater. Others keep a tank where all the rainwater goes (water is usually guided into the tank via roof gutters). A rainwater collecting system can reduce your water bills too.
- Utilize energy-efficient appliances
Home energy use can significantly decrease if energy-saving electronics and appliances are used instead of the traditional ones. These can substantially save your money and energy at home.
These appliances also protect the environment by lowering the chances of toxins being released into the air, e.g., carbon dioxide.
The Takeaway
With so many options available to minimize energy consumption, it has never been easier to design an energy-efficient home. This will not only reduce your utility bills but will also improve your lifestyle. Furthermore, energy-saving will also reduce carbon footprint in the surroundings, thus making mother Earth a healthy place to live.