One of the best home improvements that you can make to your home that only takes a small investment is to make some energy efficient changes to it. Just by making a few small changes you can make your home more valuable and also bring down your utility bills. And the best part is these small changes don’t require much of an investment but the rewards are huge. I’ll give you 7 energy efficient home improvements that you can do to make your home more energy efficient in this article. 

Energy Efficient Home Improvements

I’ve listed 7 different tips that you can do for your home below. Sometimes the tips may not apply to you and you won’t be able to do them. You may also only do one at a time. Either way, just doing one of these items can make your home more energy efficient. So without any more ado, here are the 7 tips to improve the energy efficiency of your home.

1. Seal Up Cracks in Your Home

Having cracks around doors or windows can let cold air in during the winter. This can really drive up heating costs especially on windy, cold days. You’ll need to seal up any cracks with a sealant such as caulk or foam insulation. Sometimes older wooden windows will lose the glaze on panes and will need to be re glazed in order to properly seal them.

If you notice a draft of cool air then chances are you have a crack or leak somewhere. It’s usually located around windows but doors can be the culprit as well. Make sure the weather striping on the door is sealing properly. Which leads right into our next tip…

2. Weather Strip your Doors and Windows

When you have doors that open to the outside of the house you’ll need to seal them up properly using weather strips. These are small rubber strips or felt strips that seal when the door is closed. It is also located at the bottom of each door as well. A great way to determine if the weather strip is sealing properly is to look for light coming through the door at the edges. If it’s not sealing properly it may need to be replaced. Sometimes the weather strip will get old and worn and not seal properly. This is much more common on doors than windows as well.

3. Spread Some Insulation

Keeping the heat in during the winter will help make your home more energy efficient and one of the best ways to do that is with extra insulation. If you attic is accessible, you can usually add extra insulation to help hold the heat in your home. This extra insulation can really help keep your energy costs down. Insulation is not expensive and laying it over a complete attic usually one of the better energy efficient home improvements.

4. Install a Programmable Thermostat on Your HVAC System

Are you always at home? If your home is empty for hours during the day why spend the money on energy to keep it at 70 degrees? By getting a programmable thermostat in your home you can drop the temperature at times when the home is empty and really save on your energy costs. This is a very big energy efficient home improvement that you can do and it makes a huge difference if your home is empty for eight or more hours each day. Plus, with the programmable thermostat you will never know the difference in temperature because you aren’t there. You’ll be sure to see it on your energy bill however.

5. Install Energy Efficient Appliances

The appliances in your home can make up a huge part of your energy bills. The HVAC system alone can be a huge factor in how much energy your home uses. Other appliances can also take a toll on your energy costs too. Appliances like clothes dryers and water heaters can really use lots of energy. Be sure to check the energy rating of new appliances when considering getting new appliances as one of your energy efficient home improvements.

6. Install Storm Windows on Your Home

Installing storm windows on your home is a great way to make it more energy efficient. In order for them to work properly and save on your energy bill is to have them installed properly however. Make sure when you get storm windows for your home improvement project you get professionals to install them. By not getting a professional installation you may not be helping as much as you think.

7. Inspect Your Air Ducts

One of the most overlooked energy efficient home improvements that you can do is to inspect your ducts. If your ducts are located in an areas that is accessible then make sure they are properly insulated  and not leaking air. If your duct work is leaking air you need to seal it using the proper tape. If there are large areas that need repair then you’ll likely need to get the entire duct replaced.

I hope these tips for energy efficient home improvements have helped you lower your energy bill and make your home a little greener. Just by doing one of these tips you can really add up on savings.