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12 Ways to Reduce Your Home’s Energy Use

From heating your home and using appliances to lighting up your holiday decorations, there are all sorts of things that use energy. If your energy bills are going up and up, there are several things you can do to help reduce your home’s energy use. Some of these things are simple and easy to do yourself and others will require a professional.
reduce home energy use
  1. Increase the amount of insulation in your basement. Most basements are not sufficiently insulated so heating or cooling this area of the home costs more. By adding more insulation, it will cost less to heat or cool your basement.
  2. Increase the amount of insulation in your attic. Another area of the home that is often lacks plenty of insulation is the attic. Adding insulation on top of the existing insulation is a major improvement and helps lower your home’s heating and cooling costs.
  3. Insulate your water heater. If you have tank-style water heater, you can reduce heat loss with an insulated blanket specifically designed for water heaters. Once installed, your water heater will not have to run as often to maintain hot water in the tank.
  4. Upgrade the lights in your home to LEDs. LED lights have come a long way and many are now brighter than fluorescents. LEDs use a fraction of the energy as incandescent lights and less than fluorescents.
  5. Use your dishwasher to wash dishes. Dishwashers use less water and soap compared to washing dishes by hand.
  6. Only run the dishwasher when it is full. There is no reason to run a partially loaded dishwasher, since most models use the same amount of water whether it is partially loaded or full.
  7. Don’t do partial loads of laundry. It costs just as much to do a full load of laundry as partial loads. If you typically have small loads, consider getting a smaller, combination washer and dryer as the combo unit will be more energy efficient compared to traditional full-sized machines.
  8. Do laundry and run the dishwasher in the evening. Hydro rates can be cheaper in the evening hours compared to daytime rates.
  9. Install low-flush toilet handles or a low-flush toilet. Low-flush toilets use less water and will help reduce your water bills.
  10. Install water-saving fixtures and faucets. There are all sorts of models to choose from for your shower, tub, and sinks.
  11. Upgrade your windows to energy efficient models. If your home is older, you can help reduce energy usage by getting new, modern windows installed.
  12. Replace your furnace if it is older. If your furnace is 15+ years old, you may want to replace it with a new, energy efficient model.

Even the smallest of improvements and changes can be a big help to reduce your home’s energy use. To request a free quote for attic and basement insulation, please feel free to contact Logik Roofing at (905) 424-7469 today!