People are there who love to live in an old home because of its classy architecture and unique design. Where these homes are beautiful and romantic, they are costly to maintain too.
If you also live in an old home, then you might have to pay massive electric bills every month. It is so because older homes are not as energy-efficient as the new ones are. Air leaks, old windows, inefficient appliances, and other problems can raise the cost of energy bills. Fortunately, there are home improvement ways that can help to reduce your energy bills without affecting the charm of your old home. Hence, your money will be saved over time. Read on to know what those ways are:
- Buy energy-efficient light bulbs – The best way to immediately start saving electricity is by replacing your old and standard light bulbs with halogen incandescents or CFLs. These are the energy-efficient choices and consume 25% to 80% less power than traditional bulbs. And the good thing about them is that they last 3 to 25 times longer. In case you don’t want to change every bulb in the home, then at least replace five mostly used bulbs. It will also prove to be helpful in saving your money.
- Boost the insulation of your attic – Maybe when your home was built, at that time, the insulation was adequate. But with time, the functioning of elements of home deteriorates. Thus, it is suggested to improve the insulation in the attic of your home. Wondering why? It is because, in winters, your heater will consume electricity to heat up your home from inside, and if your attic is not adequately insulated, then it is a real problem for you. The heat will escape through the attic, and in return, your heater will eat more power to keep your home warm. What will happen then? Obviously, the high electric bills that you have to pay.
Similar will happen in summers, and your air conditioners will use more electricity to keep home cool. So, to improve the insulation of the home, it is recommended to lay fiberglass batts of insulation over the joists in the attic directly. Once the insulation is upgraded, you can see a reduction in your energy bills.
- Replace the old windows – As the home ages, the windows begin to look dull, and cracks and holes start appearing around them. These holes and cracks make way for air to escape. Because of this, extra pressure is imposed on cooling and heating systems to maintain the temperature of the house.
Don’t worry! Things can be brought under control. All you have to do is to replace old windows with new energy-efficient windows. New windows can increase the efficiency of your home, and your utility cost will get reduced to a considerable amount.
- Replace the old doors – Have your doors aged and started looking old? If yes, then it is the right time to upgrade the old doors with energy-efficient doors. New doors, these days, not only save energy but also provide a high level of security. Also, they fit in the doorway in a better way than older doors. Thus, they don’t let the air escape and provide more insulation.
Now, if you are planning to replace doors, then hire professionals for installation. They will firmly fit the doors and make sure that there is no way for air to leak.
- Replace your old appliances –It is an excellent idea to improve the efficiency of your home. Old appliances consume more power as compared to new appliances, and thus, a lot of energy is wasted. So, it is highly recommended to buy new appliance. Make sure that they are having an ENERGY STAR label because only labeled ones guarantee energy efficiency. Saving electricity will not only help the environment but also save your hard-earned money, which otherwise you have to expend on paying huge energy bills.