Image Courtesy Of PNWRA

In our last installment we talked about no and low cost ways of reducing your homes energy use. Today we are going to talk about those methods that do end up costing a chunk of change, but can really make a difference in lowering your electricity consumption.

Seal Your Home
Most homes are very poorly sealed, leading to your heater or air conditioner having to work overtime to keep the temperature how you want it. From single pane windows and bad wall insulation, to cracks and poorly designed exterior walls, this is one of the leading causes of wasted energy from your home.  Some of the fixes for this are fairly straight forward, such as using curtains, adding double pane windows and visually looking for cracks and openings in your house. But for the most part, spots losing you heat will not be found by the naked eye, and need a professional to come in with a thermal infrared imaging camera that can spot problem areas.

Landscaping Efficiently
You may think your yard has nothing to do with your homes energy use, but that could not be further from the truth. If you landscape with more than just the look of your yard in mind, you can greatly improve your homes energy and water consumption. The first step, is to pick grass, plants and trees that are suited for your region and climate. By doing so, you will reduce the amount of water needed to keep them alive and thriving. After picking local plant life, placement is key. From trees that block the sun from hitting your house for parts of the day, to using bushes and shrubs as windbreaks to keep the heat in your home.  These are great ways to improve your homes electricity use, and best of all it is using the most environmentally friendly methods possible.

Interior Lighting
The majority of people just place a lamp, or install a fixture, and if its bright enough, they think it’s good to go. But there are many factors that determine how efficient your indoor lighting actually is. For instance, you may love that Tiffany style lamp, or dark blue light shade, but what it is doing is reducing the effective amount of light that is illuminating your room. The same goes with the color of your walls. If you are using dark flat colors, you are reducing the amount of light bouncing off of them. Try and stick with light reflective colors for your walls, and use lamps that still diffuse the light coming from them, but do not reduce the amount of light too much.