Top 7 tips for home improvements to save money & the environment

Energy-saving tips most often come with investments that drain your savings. There are some positive ways to reduce your carbon footprint and live more sustainably. Turns out you also save money!

1. A filtration system for your drinking water

Still today many households are using single-use plastic bottled drinking water, and sometimes the reason could be the risk of drinking contaminated water.

Truth is that even though your local water supplier may treat the water to get rid of contaminants. But as they travel through the distribution pipes sometimes contaminants can enter because of improper disposal of materials or because of a fault in the pipes. A water filtration system could be a good solution to have a healthy source of water and save a lot of money having a proper water filtration system.

2. Water cutoff devices

Water is one of the most important resources in your home. It’s also a pretty dangerous and expensive resource that can cause you a lot of trouble from time to time.

Water pipes are tough, but they aren’t impervious to damage. After a couple of decades of living in the same home, you’re likely to see pipes spring a leak once or twice. This can be extremely detrimental to your home and cause thousands of dollars of damage. Not to mention, even small leaks make your bills skyrocket within days.

Luckily, it’s something that can be prevented with new technology. Today’s pipes can be outfitted with cutoff devices that prevent too much water from leaking out when a pipe bursts. They work by cutting off the home’s water supply when they detect excessive leaks. They’re handy little devices that could save you from a lot of headaches when a pipe inevitably fails. 

It’s also a good idea to have quality replacement PVC pipe fittings and plumbing supplies like these ones from Sprinkler Supply Store in your hardware cabinet for quick and easy fixes.

3. Good insulation

If you want to have a little bit left over at the end of the month, it’s always good to take a look at your heating bills. If they’re extraordinarily high, you’re probably losing a lot of heat through parts of your home that aren’t well insulated. 

Windows and doors are especially prone to heat leakage. Many older homes have windows with a single glass pane which doesn’t really protect from cold and unforgiving weather. The edges of older windows also aren’t very well insulated often. Windows with better insulation, such as durable double glazed windows can better protect your home from losing heat in the winter. Doors are a bit harder to tackle. As long as it’s a thick door that is properly sealed at the edges, heat losses should be minimal and your heating bill should stay reasonable.

4. Storm-proof windows

Speaking of water damage and insulation, your home isn’t completely safe even when you keep your pipes intact. Water has other ways of sneaking inside of your home and wreaking havoc. Storms are the second most common reason for water damage within homes. When a particularly nasty storm hits your home, it’s likely to cause a lot of damage, which can be very costly to repair.

Having tough windows isn’t enough to keep your home in tip-top shape. You need to maintain them in good condition as well, especially if you’d want to make your home energy efficient. Storm-proof windows must be kept clean to allow as much natural sunlight in to minimize using electrically powered light sources. Although you can use a bit of soap and water to clean your windows, they won’t be able to keep the windows spotless in the long run. You’d want to invest in efficient cleaning supplies and equipment to maintain your windows in pristine condition for as long as you can. Proper cleaning soaps and chemicals will effectively remove grime and stains on your windows without damaging them, and suitable cleaning equipment will make it easier to reach every nook and cranny of the window. Rain or shine, storm-proof, spotless windows keep your home protected and energy-efficient. 

Windows are one of your home’s weak points and they are the most common place where water from a storm will enter. Installing tougher windows that can withstand a storm would be the most ideal option.

There are many DIY ideas if you are interested in simple solutions to create an energy efficient home. 

5. Brand-new appliances

Homeowners constantly complain about the short longevity of today’s appliances. It seems like a reasonable complaint, considering how appliances like fridges, washing machines, and mixers seemed to last forever in your parent’s time. However, if you find any of your appliances is no longer working, has water leakage or your electricity bills increases, that could be a sign of inefficient appliance.

You can cut your power costs by quite a bit by simply replacing old appliances with new ones. Not only do you get additional functionalities, but you also get to help preserve the environment by spending way less power than you normally would. 

Like if your boiler has been with you past its capacity, maybe it’s time to invest in a new one but also do consider looking at the cost of a new boiler.

6. A clean air conditioner

Air conditioners are handy machines that keep the summer heat at a tolerable level. They’re known for being somewhat inefficient and bad for the environment, yet many households have one that can be used frequently.

Air conditioners become very inefficient due to the lack of maintenance and aren’t properly cleaned throughout the summer and spring. The reason why it is important, it’s because the filters tend to get clogged up and slow down the air conditioner. Just replacing the filters and cleaning it every once in a while can make it work a lot more efficiently. In fact, everything you make cleaner in your household will make it more efficient in time and extend the lifecycle of the items you already own. To get started here’s an interesting must have list of cleaning supplies to get started!

7. Solar energy

It might seem like an ambitious endeavor, but solar panels are considered one of the most efficient installations you can add to your home. They not only reduce your power bills but also help produce extra power for your home. 

Installing them on your roof might be an expensive hassle, but there are tons of hidden benefits. For starters, you never have to clean the panels, they stay perfectly functional throughout the year. You can also get some pretty good tax benefits from having solar panels, which only adds to the money-saving factor. 

Is it worth to invest in improvements at home?

There are tons of ways for you to make your home more efficient and eco-friendly. You just have to know where to look. As long as you put in the bare minimum of effort, you should see a drastic reduction in your bills and you can put your environmental conscience at ease. Going green has never been easier and it truly pays off in the long run.

What improvements have you done in your home that has helped to save money and the environment? Share your tips with us in the comments below!