5 Eco-Friendly Upgrades That Will Lower Your Bills

Homes and businesses both have the potential to save money through eco-friendly upgrades. It’s estimated that by reducing energy and water consumption, hospitals can save $15 billion over a decade. And the same results have been confirmed in both the home and in other industry niches.

But which eco-friendly upgrades are guaranteed to make a difference? We look at the upgrades you should take into consideration.

Install Solar Panels on Your Roof

This is the single biggest change you can make at home. By generating your own electricity, you can make it your biggest source of energy. The startup costs aren’t what they once were. Research reveals that between 2010 and 2015 solar panel installation costs dropped by 70%.

The CEO of Sun-Wind Solutions in Connecticut says, “Many states will also have subsidiaries and other tax refunds available to households that install solar panels, making this a fantastic eco-friendly investment.”

Not only are you generating your own energy you can even get paid for generating electricity that flows back into the grid!

Replace Your Garage Door 

The garage door is never mentioned when it comes to eco-friendly solutions. But when you think about it this is the largest moving part in your home. A lot of energy is used every time you open your garage door. The large openings in them also dictate how efficient your home is at keeping the cold out and keeping heat in.

Recycled steel is the ideal choice for your garage door. You’re using an extremely strong, energy efficient material that would have otherwise ended up in landfill.

Do You Have a Chimney? 

Older homes may have an unused open chimney. If you’re not using it, block it with a chimney sheep or chimney balloon. The University of Liverpool conducted a study that estimated open chimneys reduce your energy efficiency by 5%, which translates to higher bills.

Insulate Your Home 

Another easy way to notice a difference with your energy bills is to insulate your home. When you install the recommended 270mm of insulation, you guarantee that heat stays in for longer. Then you don’t need to run your central heating system for as long.

And this is a truly worthwhile investment because it’s estimated that insulation can last for 40 years before it loses its effectiveness.

Make Your Home a Smart Home 

The Internet of Things is driving the creation of smart homes everywhere. It provides us with convenience and flexibility in how we run our homes.

Take the smart thermostat as an example. The average smart thermostat can reduce energy bills by 15% through more efficient and automatic heating and cooling.

More importantly, this technology is fast becoming affordable to the average person and is becoming easier to learn and implement.

Last Word – Save Money on Your Energy Bills 

These five simple upgrades can put a huge dent in your energy bill. Continuing research into these innovations has driven the costs down and made sure that these home investments last for longer.

Have you upgraded your home yet?