Energy efficient homes save homeowners money on their monthly utility bills, while improving the home’s overall comfort by reducing drafty spots and extreme temperatures. When considering your next home or remodel, here are 5 easy ways to go green and save up to hundreds of dollars each year on energy.
Energy Audits – The very first step to making your home more energy efficient is to hire a professional to perform an assessment of your home’s energy performance. Energy audits identify where your home may be leaking hot and cool air and show you the most cost-effective ways to reduce energy waste in your home.
Insulation – Installing or adding insulation to a home’s walls, floors and attic is typically one of the most cost-effective ways to improve your home’s energy performance.
Air Sealing – Like insulation, air and duct sealing provides a great bang for the buck with respect to its low costs and big energy savings. Air sealing simply involves finding where hot and cool air may be seeping out of holes in walls, ceiling or duct work and sealing them with caulk and weather-stripping.
Upgrade Appliances and Electronics – Most home appliances and electronics use electricity. Thanks to advances in technology, most appliances and electronics now have a high efficiency counterpart. When in the market for a new home or remodel, look for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star label, which indicates that an appliance performs the same type of function for less energy.
Space Heating and Cooling – The energy to heat and cool homes typically accounts for more than half of all energy consumption. Like your home’s appliances, Energy Star has also created high efficiency air conditioners, water heaters and furnaces that can keep your home at optimal temperatures while using significantly less amount of energy.
The team here at Mason Construction would love to help you evaluate the best ways to “Go Green” on your next remodel project or new home. We have built LEED certified homes, and we stay current on the best practices for energy efficient home building. If you have any questions about energy savings and quality home construction or remodeling in northern Michigan. Please give Chris Mason a call at 231-642-0724.