Many households are appalled at their electricity bills, and wish that they could find a way to help reduce their expenses without cutting back on their daily necessities. For example, during hot weather, nobody would want to turn off the air conditioning even if it means energy savings; similarly, in the winter, turning the heater on is a basic given.
Do you know that you can actually realize great savings in energy when your home is properly insulated? Homes are generally already well-insulated to some extent, but there are ways you can make sure you maximize this insulation.
1. First, check your ceiling. Unless you live in the attic or a garage apartment, you will most likely have a good ceiling made of wood. These days, there are Styrofoam ceiling tiles that many people are discovering. These ceiling tiles can be attached directly onto your existing ceiling. Styrofoam is well known to be a better insulator than most materials, so spending a little on this add-on will definitely translate into big savings in the long run. You can even find them in nice designs if you would rather not sacrifice the aesthetic feel of your home. When you have picked your design, you can even opt to install them yourself when you have the right do-it-yourself directions.
2. Check possible entry and exit points around your home. In other words, scour around for holes. This is because these holes will result in the cool air from your air conditioning escaping or the cool air from outside entering your home, putting added pressure on your temperature regulating device. If you find even the slightest gaps between your windowsill and wall, it might be a good idea to fill up the gap with plaster. If you have a broken window pane and are experiencing a draft, it might be a good investment to have that window pane replaced as soon as possible. Likewise, a hole on your roof might irk you when it rains, as you get drips, but it also means air might actually be passing through those holes. As such it is wise to seal them up as soon as possible. A refrigerator that does not seal up properly also works in a similar way of eating up your energy.
3. Ventilation is also closely related to insulation needs: having a few electric fans might give you a much more refreshing feel as it blows the cool air to you instead of just letting it lie dormant. This is especially helpful during hot weather.
These things might seem simple but are actually the most often overlooked aspects of home repair. Now that you understand how critical they are to helping you save energy, you had best get started fixing up these things!
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