Improving your home’s energy efficiency is a smart investment, and one that many homeowners all over the world are striving for. Taking action can help to lower utility bills, increase how comfortable you are in your home, and reduce your environmental footprint. These make the efforts and investments all worthwhile. But somewhere on the journey to make your home more green, people are rushing the process or following short-lived trends. While doing it quickly and seeking advice on social media can be extremely beneficial, in other cases, it may lead to some costly mistakes.
Energy efficiency isn’t just about one big change; it is about a strategy and an overall lifestyle change that starts with updating your living environment. Before you hit the ground running with making your home eco-friendly, it is important that you consider some of the most common, costly mistakes, so you know what to avoid and how to plan accordingly.
#1 Focusing on the quick fixes rather than the whole picture
One of the biggest mistakes is treating energy efficiency like it is a checklist of trends. Draft excluders, LED bulbs and smart thermostats are great updates to make, but they won’t solve the deeper inefficiencies in your home.
A home functions as a system. When you see it like this, it will help you to avoid surface-level mistakes and make changes that go deeper. Things like heating, insulation, venting, cooling, airflow and more all work together. Improving just one and ignoring others may not give you the results that you want. For example, if you don’t address ventilation issues when installing insulation, it may lead to moisture issues.
Conduct an assessment of your home so you can identify the issues. Then you can create a strategy that tackles them all.
#2 Delaying an outdated heating system upgrade
You can insulate every inch of your home, but if you have a heating system that is broken or inefficient, then your energy bills are not going to change the way you had hoped. Older boilers often have poor efficiency levels compared to modern ones. So while a new boiler may seem like a high cost, it is a worthwhile one in the long-run.
Look out for rising energy bills, uneven heating, regular need for repairs, and strange noises. The first thing to do is source reliable boilers for central heating systems. These are going to be modern and energy-efficient, ticking all the boxes you need to make a difference.
#3 Ignoring everyday habits
Technology won’t do all the work for you. A big mistake people make is only relying on updates to make their home more efficient, without taking responsibility for their own actions. It is important to consider how your own habits in the home play a role in your energy efficiency. Things like leaving devices on standby, neglecting maintenance and overheating rooms are easily done. Simple adjustments, like servicing your heating system, adjusting the thermostat, and turning things off when you are not using them, can add up.
Making your home more energy efficient is a smart move. However, it isn’t going to be so smart if you are making mistakes.
Feature image by Houzlook on Pexels.
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