Energy Efficient Home Improvements to Save You Money

While winter may be right around the corner, we all know it’s coming and that means higher heating bills. Even though we can’t avoid these changes, there are a few ways to reduce their long-term impact on your pocketbook.

Now is a great time to consider investing in energy efficient home improvements. Not only will you do your part to help the environment, you may also be looking at tax credits to help offset some of the costs.

Here are a few improvements you can make to get prepared before the temperatures start to drop:

Insulate the attic

When the heat goes up, you may be tempted to insulate the walls, but that can be expensive. The first place you should insulate is right over your head.

Check for drafts

A small draft is like having a door cracked open. Get out the caulking gun, weather stripping or other draft-stopping tools to keep the warm air in and the cool air out.

Also, don’t forget to block your unused fireplace so it doesn’t suck heat up your chimney.

Change your furnace filter

It takes a lot of energy to blast air through a dirty furnace filter. Check your filter to see if it needs to be swapped for a new one. You may need to change your filter as often as once a month, especially if you have pet hair in your home.

Use solar panels for water heating

Solar panels used for heating and cooling your house can be a great alternative source of energy. Unfortunately, these improvements can be on the expensive side, making it difficult to most of us recoup the full cost of installation.

That doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from the sun’s warm rays. If your house gets enough sun, using its energy to heat water can save you money.