If the legislation's that are being adopted currently are something to go by, it is needless to see that there will be a staggering reduction in C02 emissions in the near future. It is important that you ascertain the extent at which your lovely home is energy efficient so that you can start reaping the incredible benefits associated with it. This will in most cases help you understand where you need to focus your efforts on when it comes to enhancing the energy efficiency of your home. Houses with poor energy performance are very costly to maintain and as a homeowner, it is essential that you keep off such houses.

Ascertaining energy efficiency of houses

Most governments have been in the front line in ensuring that people are living in energy efficient homes in their efforts of reducing the escalating energy bills. As such, it is essential that random assessments are done to ascertain the level of efficiency that a house has and this is something that every homeowner should take very seriously. In order to assist in measuring and comparing how energy efficiency different houses are, there has been an introduction of a comparison tool. SAP or Standard Assessment Procedure helps in prediction of the total CO2 emissions per sq meter of the floor area.
 
After the assessment, energy performance certificates are usually offered to show that the building meets the required standards when it comes to energy efficiency. This is done after assessment of the thermal properties that the house has. It is crucial that the energy performance is conducted by a professional who is well experienced and trained in this job. Essentially speaking, home owners don’t need to have this performance conducted as there are some obvious things that you can do to make your house more energy efficient.

Energy saving tips

When the energy performance assessment is done, the professional will give some recommendations on exactly what needs to be done so that you can reduce the energy bills considerably. You might be surprised to know that making your home energy efficient requires that you follow some simple guidelines and you will be amazed at the incredible impact that they will have on your energy usage. A simple thing like installation of energy saving electric bulbs can go a long way towards reducing your energy bills considerably. Having an energy efficient house is not always an easy affair and you will need to be committed in everything you do so that you can be able to achieve the best results in the long run.

Also, when the TV is not being watched, switching it off will really help a lot in reducing your energy bill at the end of the month. The same also applies for the electric lights as there is really no points in leaving them on during day time when you can otherwise use switch them off and use the natural light. By keeping all these tips in mind, achieving an energy efficient house should certainly be an easy affair.

With energy costs continuing to increase day in day out, it is of paramount importance that every homeowner adopts strategies that can help reduce such costs in the most significant way possible. Making your house efficient has become one of the latest strategies in the world of building and construction. There are a couple of things that you should certainly consider when you are thinking about enhancing the efficiency of your home and it is essential that you get things right from the word goes.

Insulation

To start with, it is critical that you consider the insulation and it is crucial that the design plan you adopt should have sufficient insulation. This should be in the floor, room assembly and even the walls. Insulation should be done upon considering the prevailing temperatures of your region and know the number of layers that need to be added to the form sheathing. Consulting a qualified contractor is of paramount importance as this will help you undertake the insulation in the best way possible and get the most out of it.

High performance windows

Something of paramount importance that you should also consider in any energy efficient house plan is high performance windows. It is crucial that you consider installing some double pane windows having high performance glass which you can then fill with glass. This will really help a lot in downsizing the cooling and heating requirements of your home. This is because having such energy efficient windows helps a lot in reducing loss of heat, especially during the cold winter months while reducing heat gain during summer months. In addition, whether you have simple cabin plans or a luxurious home, it is crucial that you make a point of considering high performance windows as they will be more advantageous to you than you would imagine.

It is no secret that about 50% of utility expenses for most homes or even more usually go to heat and cooling and it is important you know how you can cut back on those expenses. Through installation of the right insulation amounts and ensuring that your home is sealed properly, you will succeed in having an energy efficient and comfortable home. You can as well achieve this through installation of correctly sized heating, ventilation equipment and air conditioning. 

Besides energy efficient house plans, it is crucial that you select lighting and appliances that are also energy efficient as well. For the past couple of years, there have been great improvements in creation of high performance dryers and washers, dishwashers and refrigerators. Before you purchase any appliance, it is crucial that you read the label carefully so that you can be able to estimate the energy cost. Using the light fixtures which consume less energy is something of paramount importance as this will help ensure that your energy bills go down as well. Fluorescent light fixtures are much better than the incandescent lamps as this will certainly translated to more energy savings while ensuring that your house is energy efficient and comfortable to live in.

Making your house energy efficient doesn’t only make your electricity bills lower but is also a great contribution towards making the environment a much better place for everyone. It is no wonder most environmentalists have been encouraging people to use less electricity as much as possible while at the same time burn less fuel as this will release less carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. The end results of this is that there will be less release of green house gases and this will slow down the negative effects associated with global warming. You can achieve this in a number of ways including:

Turning off the lights when not being used

It is so unfortunate that most lights of the house remain on even when no one at home is using them. Even during daytime, these lights tend to stay on and this only leads to increased electricity bills by the end of the day. Being able to change such habits is quite difficult, but you can manage to do so by using motion detectors and timers. Another option would be changing those incandescent bulbs and replacing them with energy saving bulbs. LED lamps are available readily nowadays and besides consuming little light, you will be amazed at how bright they are as they are perfect for any energy efficient house.

Use electrical appliances that are energy efficient

When it comes to shopping for new electrical appliances, it is important you opt for those that are energy efficient. So, if any of your home appliances has broken down, buy those that are labeled energy efficient as this will mean more savings on electricity bills. The stickers of these appliances usually have some very useful info about the appliance’s energy consumption and you can choose such appliance as it is energy efficient and very practical to use at home.

Improve the efficiency of heating and cooling systems

Working on your home’s insulation is deemed as the most ideal way of improving the efficiency of heating and cooling at your home. According to experts, you can have an energy efficient house by preventing loss of heat through the windows, doors and roof and these are the top areas which you should work on. Then, ensure that the walls are insulated properly and this will see you save even 30 percent of your heating bills.

There are many other things you can do to have an energy efficient home such as covering your swimming pool. This is because the swimming pool tends to lose lots of heat particularly during the evaporation of water. Having a cover on your swimming pool can help a lot in solving this and thus warm your pool and this means that you will be using less electricity to do so. Ensuring that your house is energy efficient should be your number one priority as there are many incredible benefits that you stand to reap from this. As cost of energy continue to increase, enhancing the efficiency of your home will really help a lot in increasing your energy savings and possibly surviving the ailing economic times.

Most people across the globe are nowadays more keen in building their houses in a way that they are able to conserve the surrounding environment while achieving other benefits like energy efficiency. A good home design helps a lot in reducing those skyrocketing energy bills while at the same time ensuring that your house achieves the best health standards possible. Besides, having a house that is energy efficient helps a lot in creating a great environment that is more friendly and bettering the quality of life in an incredible way. There are a number of ways in which you can be able to accomplish this including:

Installation of energy efficient windows

As a home owner, it is important that you appreciate the need to install windows that are energy efficient in your home. Nowadays, there are many brands of windows available on the market which satisfies the required energy saving certifications. Installation of such windows is one of the best techniques that you should adopt if you want to reduce your energy bills considerably and enjoy the incredible benefits associated with it. You might be surprised to know that with these windows, you will be able to save over 15 percent of your monthly energy bills. You can search online for energy efficient windows which are recommended and this certainly includes the likes of Double & Triple Panes Windows, windows that have insulating Gas, Low- E house glass windows and others. Most of these windows are usually created with sustainable materials and are definitely worthy considering if you want to purchase them.

Building solar power

While this might not be a very common technique for most homeowners, there are many energy savings benefits that are associated with building of a solar power. This is an incredible energy option that every household should consider having and you can be able to make incredible savings with it. In addition, it is important that you use bulbs that are energy efficient and this will go a long way towards reducing your monthly electric bills. This is because such bulbs usually require less electricity not to mention that they can as well last for many years as well.

Control your ventilation

Another vital technique that can help you have an energy efficient house is controlling the ventilation of your house. As a home owner, it is essential that you decrease your air moisture as much as possible and good ventilation can help you achieve this. Besides, ensuring that your house is well ventilated helps to better the rate of health at your home while also ensuring that a comfortable environment exists at your house for people to live in. Such an incredible technique helps in reducing the possibility of structural damage that can result from air moisture. Gaining a house that is energy efficient is not always an easy affair as such and you will need to invest a lot of efforts and time in your planning. Implementing these techniques will help you save greatly on your maintenance, utilities expenditures and energy bills.

It is of paramount importance that every household does everything possible to cut down on their energy usage as much as possible. There are so many incredible benefits that come about by having an energy efficient house and this is certainly the trend the modern day society is heading to. As a homeowner, you might be surprised to know that making your house energy efficient requires that you follow some few common sense guidelines and you will certainly be thrilled with the outcome as described here below.

House plans

When it comes to constructing buildings, the engineers should advise the owner on the importance of adopting house plans that are more energy efficient. Such house plans are usually designed in a way that they are able to reduce your cooling and heating needs. Nowadays, when a new construction is being set up, the authorities are insisting on the importance of adopting building codes that are energy efficient. Keeping this in mind, the new homes are nowadays being designed in a way that they can maximize their ability to retain more heat during the cold winter season while minimizing the heat during the hot summer months.
 
Floor insulation
 
Another common sense guideline of having an energy efficient house involves floor insulation and this is something that every homeowner today must take into consideration. Also, one must also ascertain the best location of the house on the property and things such as hills, other homes and trees should be considered since they can all affect the energy efficiency of your home. Due to consideration must be given to where the windows should be facing and things such as solar electric panels and solar thermal panels also need to be put as well after due consideration. To cut the long story short, good site planning is of paramount importance as this helps you to take advantage of the environment in cooling and heating your home.

Common guidelines

When it comes to building a house, one thing that you must always keep in mind is that you will always be getting what you have paid for. It is essential that you hire a good expert who is able to incorporate the necessary energy saving measures that will help you save greatly on energy cost for many years to come. Something that you should take very seriously is having an energy efficient house design. Even though this one might certainly cost you a lot, the end benefits that you stand to reap are incredible and you will certainly be thrilled with such great house designs.

Regardless of where you live, your house must have the A-plus thermal barrier if you want it to be energy efficient. This thermal barrier is usually made with insulation barrier and air barrier and you can be sure that it will benefit you in so many ways than you might imagine. Energy efficiency is something that you should never get wrong otherwise your monthly power bills will always remind you that you need to do something to reduce your energy consumption.