Many people see their house as an extension of themselves. A home is a place where families are made and dreams are realised. While there are so many joys that come with being a homeowner, the stresses that come with energy bills and maintenance are a big part of the experience as well.
If you’re looking for easy and applicable ways to save money on the house you love, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are four simple steps you can take to reduce your energy bills and your stress.
1. Invest in quality shutters.
Window shutters and window coverings are an often overlooked source of savings. Whether it’s a scorching summer day or a chilly winter night, the slats of quality shutters will insulate your home. This means the heat stays outside on warmer days and inside on closer ones.
When your home is properly insulated you will need to use your air conditioning and heating systems significantly less which allows for big savings since heaters and air conditioning units eat up massive amounts of energy to keep your home cosy.
What’s more, you can increase the value of your home by installing exterior and interior shutters that match your house’s style. Whether you like the classic appearance of Plantation shutters with their real wood blinds or the more modern faux wood finish of cafe shutters, the perfect shutters for your house are out there, ready to bring both form and function to your home.
2. Unplug unused appliances.
You may laugh at the thought of unplugging your toaster every time you’re not using it, but serious savings are no laughing matter. Unplugging unused appliances like the toaster, washing machine, and computers when they are not in use can lead to a net savings of hundreds of dollars per year.
You save more than the energy bill when you decide to unplug because when these appliances have time to rest, their lifespan increases dramatically. This saves you money on unnecessary repairs and upgrades and is good practice for home appliances maintenance.
3. Turn off the lights.
This is probably the easiest fix on the list, and the easiest to forget. Everyone does their best to turn off their lights when they aren’t using them, and yet we all find the lights on from time to time in forgotten areas like the bathroom and kitchen.
If at first, it feels a little annoying reminding your family to turn off the lights every day, just remind yourself of the savings and take them on a trip at the end of the year to reward them. After a while, muscle memory will kick in and even your little ones will be flicking off the lights with no reminders necessary.
4. Open the windows.
Now that you’ve got your wood shutters installed to insulate the house and give you light control during days with more extreme weather, consider opening your windows on more moderate days. This may seem so simple, but how often have you turned on the air conditioner or put on a light when you could have just as easily opened a window?
Today, many of us are conditioned to simply flick a switch or push a button when we want more light, heat, or cold in the house. But all that flicking and pressing really adds up. The good news is that many of the hidden costs of your home are easily cut away, and often the most expensive energy drainages come from appliances or fixtures that we aren’t actually using. This means that you can start saving as early as today without needing to make any drastic cuts to your quality of life or changing your daily routine!
Hope these tips help you save money on your house. Have more? Let us know in the comments!
