How to Create an Energy-Efficient Home
Living in Florida, especially during summer months, can result in sky-high electric bills. With temperatures rising, it’s no surprise that many of us are looking for ways to reduce our energy costs while also keeping our homes safe and comfortable.
So how do you go about creating an energy-efficient home? To achieve the best and most long-term savings on your electricity bill, understanding what goes into making a house energy efficient is essential. Take a look below to understand what energy efficiency is and how you can improve the energy efficiency of your home.
What is Energy Efficiency?
Energy efficiency refers to the amount of energy used in the home to provide heating, cooling, and other utilities. Being energy efficient is particularly important today when people are always seeking to reduce their carbon emissions and save on their monthly bills.
Essentially energy efficiency means generating the most benefits from the amount of electricity used. It also helps lessen individual carbon footprints, protecting the environment.
Tips to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
Upgrade Old Appliances
If you live in an older house or apartment and haven’t gotten any new appliances recently, it may be time for an upgrade. Old appliances typically use more energy than newer ones that are designed with energy efficiency in mind. The majority of new appliances on the market today will use less electricity than old appliances at a range of price points.
Use Dark Curtains to Block Out Sunlight
A cost-effective way to save on energy costs is to use dark curtains to your advantage. If you’re not spending time in a certain room, you can use dark curtains on the windows to prevent the sun from heating your home’s interior.
When the temperature inside your home rises, it places more strain on the AC system to cool the space down. Keeping a room dark during the summer months will help to relieve your air conditioner from unnecessary stress and reduce energy costs.
Install Hard-Surface Floors in Your Home’s Common Areas
If you own your home or apartment and are able to make significant renovations, you may want to consider installing hard-surfacing flooring in place of any carpets. This is because hard-surface floors like tile help to create a cooler indoor environment.
In addition to modernizing the look of a home’s interior, using hard-surface floors will help your home stay cooler than hardwood or carpet in the summer months. If you prefer the look of wooden floors, you can also purchase tile flooring that looks like hardwood to get the best of both worlds.
Install a Smart Thermostat
Installing a smart thermostat in place of your traditional thermostat is one of the best ways to modernize your home and increase its energy efficiency. With these devices, you can instantly adjust settings, set timers, and set a schedule for it to run, all from your smartphone or tablet.
This way, you can regulate your home’s temperature based on the outdoor temperature and your schedule without having to constantly adjust the thermostat. With some smart options, you can also control the settings remotely from anywhere that you can access a WiFi connection.
Use Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs
Nowadays, energy-efficient light bulbs like LEDs are just as easy to find as traditional bulbs. These bulbs are long-lasting, bright, and do not require as much electricity. Simply replace your traditional bulbs with these in your lighting fixtures and immediately start to reap the benefits of using less electricity.
Upgrade Your Glass Surfaces
On top of dealing with summer heat, Florida homeowners also have to worry about the ever-present possibility of hurricanes. Hurricanes and other strong storms can damage glass surfaces and let cool air into the home. Even if they do not appear visibly broken, their housing could become compromised and air leakage can occur.
When windows and doors are leaking air, cool air from inside your home leaves and places a greater strain on your AC to maintain the desired temperature. Upgrading your glass surfaces helps protect the integrity of your home and lowers the risk of any leakages.
Unlike traditional glass, hurricane impact windows and doors are constructed with sturdier frames and superior sealing technology to prevent air leakage in the home. This allows your air conditioner to operate with less energy waste while maintaining a more uniform temperature in the home.
Beyond thermal control, hurricane impact windows and doors can also provide a number of additional benefits to homeowners. They are custom-sized to your home’s existing openings to avoid unnecessary new construction or extensive renovation and offer other perks such as:
- Reduced outside noise
- UV light filtering
- Increased home security
Get Energy Efficient Hurricane Windows and Doors for Your South Florida Home
Our team at Paradise Exteriors are the exclusive installers of South Florida’s leading hurricane impact windows, Paradise Platinum. We also provide homeowners with hurricane-rated door and roof systems to provide complete protection during severe weather without any extensive setup or teardown found with other solutions.
Paradise Platinum Windows and Doors have received multiple Energy Star Awards and can save homeowners up to 31% on their monthly utility bills. Flexible financing and generous warranty options are also available to help further protect your investment.
To get started, schedule your Free Quote today.
