Build an Energy Efficient House
Whether you are building a new house, remodeling, or adding on to your existing house, you should keep energy efficiency in mind. Especially, with the skyrocketing costs of natural gas and electricity in recent years, now more than ever homeowners should be conscious of saving money on your energy bills.
Making your new home more energy efficient is easier than you may think. With a little research and information, you can reap the benefits of building an energy efficient home.
If you’re looking for a place to start learning more about energy savings, consider the following tips on making any new construction, regardless of whether it’s a new home or an addition, more energy efficient:
Choose Energy Efficient Windows
Older windows in your house tend to lose both heat and cool air because they aren’t properly insulated. Many of the older styles of windows are difficult to clean and some consist of double hung windows, storm windows and screens. When taking apart the windows to clean, often they are not put back securely, which allows heating or cooling air to escape. An alternative to old and leaky windows, then you may want to check out
thermal glass energy saving windows. These windows not only save you lots in energy costs but they are also much easier to clean. They simply pop in and out to make cleaning easier. Not only are these windows energy efficient, but also maintenance-free.
Choose the Highest Grade Insulation
Get the best insulation for your home. When you are building a new house, it’s very common for your contractor to install the lowest grade insulation that conforms with code. You should tell your contractor upfront that you want the highest grade, which is R-4. This material can be added to the walls and blown into the attic for extra padding. Choosing to install the highest grade insulation may cost you a few hundred dollars extra in upgrades, but a huge energy-saving decision that will make a substantial difference in energy efficiency as well as your energy bill.
Is One Air Conditioner or Two More Energy Efficient?
If you have a large home, when it comes to saving energy and cutting costs, then you might opt to install two air conditioning units, one for each floor. By doing so will help you save money by eliminating the burden of cooling the entire house on one big unit. You can conserve energy by using either of the air condition units dependant upon which floor in your home you wish to cool. Or both can also run simultaneously if they are on a temperature controlled thermostat, which permits either unit being overrun.
Other things you can do in your home to save energy and cut costs include: Choose appliances that are energy efficient. Consider a maintenance-free exterior that will better insulate the house which will ultimately help saving on your heating and cooling bills.
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