Eco-Friendly Home Improvements

As 2010 is nearly one month in the books, many people are getting on board with many eco-friendly decisions around the house.  In fact, what better place to start making changes than at home.  Here are a few projects to try over the course of the year to make your house more energy efficient, cost effective, and overall greener.

Firstly, assess your energy output. Done by either a professional or buy yourself, get an energy audit done to see where you are wasting energy, where you can save money, and where you can collect tax breaks for making your home more efficient. Different states have different rules on how to collect these incentives, but many offer help and reward for those who take the time.

The big way to make your house more energy efficient is to make sure it is up to date. This means upgrading your insulation, which could save up to 30% on heating costs. New insulation is far more effective and will make a drastic effect not only on energy use, but on your bank account as well.  

Upgrading old appliances is also important.  Be it an old toilet, refrigerator, furnace, or washer and dryer, the cost of a new appliance and work involved to install far outweighs the lack of efficiency of an older piece of equipment. And again, many local and state governments encourage these the purchase of these products, and offer monetary incentives to consumers. Windows too are something to keep in mind when upgrading. Older windows allow more heat to escape, thereby increasing the amount of energy the house must use to stay warm.

Moving upwards in the house, check your roof to see if you’re ready for a more energy efficient style. A roof with pigmented coatings and cooling granules help save cooling costs in the summer by reflecting more of the sun’s rays and thereby heating the house less.  Lastly, for the most intrepid, invest in a solar water heater.  Not only do the tax incentives span several years, but many states are offering loans and generous payment plans to encourage more people to purchase these great products. As with most green technology, but the cost burden may seem a lot initially, they save a great amount of energy, and money, over the years and are the best way to become more eco-friendly at home.

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