Home heating and cooling costs can be quite expensive due to the energy inefficiency of many homes. Not only that, but there are many other seemingly small things that can lead to you expending more energy than needed, such as old wires, lightbulbs, and more.

Even if you don’t care about protecting the world or following regulatory guidelines, improving your home’s energy efficiency will save you money in the long run, especially regarding energy bills. Here are some of the ways to improve the efficiency of your home.

Make sure your home is well insulated

If your house is not insulated, more than a third of the heat can be lost through the walls. The walls of an uninsulated home lose heat because they are entirely open to the elements.

In order to properly insulate your home, you must understand the construction of your walls. Your home’s age might help you choose the kind of wall construction.

The majority of residences built more than a century ago have strong brick or stone walls. A variety of options exist for solid wall insulation, both on the inside and outside. For these walls, you can use foil bubble wrap insulation with ease. However, if you don’t find fit for such a task, contact the professionals who will luckily take care of the job.

The heat and thus the energy can be lost through the floor, so if you can, insulate it. Upper levels don’t generally need this type of insulation.

Make sure your windows and doors are sealed

You’re wasting energy if you don’t have airtight doors and windows in your house. Light an incense stick or a candle and place it around the frames of windows and doors to look for any draughts. A draught is present if the candle flickers.

Install or replace weather stripping and door sweeps with caulk. Applying outside window film during winter can improve your home’s energy efficiency even more.

Laundry can be a huge inefficiency culprit

Washing clothing in cold water may save a lot of energy since most of the energy used in the washing process is for heating the water. There are detergents designed specifically for use in cold water as well. Consider installing a leak detector if you have an older washing machine, so you don’t waste water.

On the other hand, the dryer makes it much more difficult to save energy. The best way to save energy on drying your clothes is to install a clothesline on your balcony or backyard. However, many areas prohibit clotheslines since they regard them as an eyesore, so you’ll have to improvise. You might use a timed dryer or dry your clothes on the lowest setting. It is also important to keep the lint screen and dryer duct clean.

Update your water heaters

Water heaters that don’t need a tank have recently become popular. However, they’re still quite expensive. Instead of a large storage tank, the water is heated as it passes through the pipes. It will provide you with on-demand hot water without wasting power when the tap isn’t running. It will save you money in the long run, and reduced energy use is good for the environment.

Change your light bulbs

Though this may seem like a small change, you’ll be amazed at how much energy you can save by replacing all your lightbulbs with LEDs. Incandescent bulbs may be cheaper but must be replaced much more often, and they waste sufficient energy.

If possible, you may install a dimmer on your lights, saving even more energy. You won’t always need to have your lighting turned on to the max, which is where the dimmer comes in. If you’re watching a movie and wish for a romantic atmosphere with your loved one, the dimmer is great too!