5 Summer Home Energy-Saving Tips

• Upgrade your window treatments
• Install a smart thermostat
• Replace air filters
• Caulk gaps around windows and doors
• Use power strips

Upgrade your window treatments

Only the good kind of shade here. During hot months, window treatments such as blinds, shades, and curtains can help reduce sun exposure in your home, keeping temperatures from spiking indoors. Reflective or light-colored window treatments are particularly effective in reflecting sunlight away. This reduces the need for air conditioning, leading to lower energy consumption and costs.

Install a smart thermostat

Smart home features are everywhere these days, and one perk of a smart thermostat is that it can sync with smart devices you already have. More importantly, smart thermostats can significantly reduce energy consumption by learning your schedule and preferences to optimize heating and cooling. They can automatically adjust the temperature when you’re not home or when you’re asleep, leading to lower energy bills. Some models also provide energy usage reports so you can monitor and manage your consumption more effectively. 

Some smart thermostats even offer advanced features like zoning, where you can set different temperatures for different rooms or areas in your home. They can also provide real-time weather updates and adjust settings accordingly.

Replace air filters

A clogged air filter can restrict airflow, forcing your HVAC system to work harder to maintain your ideal temperature. This increased strain can lead to higher energy consumption and utility bills. When you replace air filters regularly, your HVAC system operates more efficiently. Plus, replacing air filters is essential to maintaining the air quality in your home. Allergies? We don’t know them.

Caulk gaps around windows and doors

Proper insulation is important year-round, not just during the summer. Doors and windows are common sources of air leaks, where conditioned air from inside your home can escape, and outside air can enter. This exchange forces your heating and cooling systems to work harder to maintain a consistent indoor temperature. Caulking these gaps and cracks reduces the workload on your HVAC system and conserves energy.

Use power strips

Just because a device is turned off doesn’t mean it isn’t using energy. Many electronic devices and appliances continue to draw power if you leave them plugged in, even when they’re turned off. Power strips can cut off power completely to these devices when they’re not in use. It might seem like a small difference in energy consumption, but it can lead to significant savings over time.

Many power strips also come with built-in overload protection, which can help prevent electrical fires and damage to your devices. By protecting your electronics from power surges and overloads, power strips can contribute to the longevity and efficiency of your appliances. In the long run, this saves energy and reduces waste from having to purchase new devices more frequently.

Bonus summer home energy-saving tips

Some summer home energy-saving tips will yield more savings than others, but every little bit helps. If you’re looking for some additional ways to trim costs this season, here are some bonus strategies to try. 

• Wash laundry with cold water
• Save tasks like laundry and cooking for cooler hours of the day
• If you have a pool, keep it covered when not in use
• Switch to LED lightbulbs
• Keep the thermostat at 78 degrees

Don’t forget that being comfortable in your home matters just as much as your budget. If you need to turn the thermostat down a few degrees, don’t sweat it.

Reducing your home’s carbon footprint is never a bad idea, especially when it means you could save on your utility bills during the hot summer months.

The post The Best Summer Energy-Saving Tips for Your Home appeared first on Cardinal Financial.

Switching to solar power could significantly lower your energy bills.

So why aren’t more people going solar? And how can solar panels save you money?

So long, stigma

Let’s start with the way they look. Solar panels get a bad reputation for looking out-of-place, unsightly, and sometimes too futuristic on the average home. Homeowners want curb appeal and charm—giant, dark panels on the roof can completely destroy that warm, homely appearance.

Solar panels came out ahead of their time. On one hand, it’s a good thing there is a wave of young, Millennial home buyers who desire minimalist characteristics that are modern, sleek, and simple, like clean lines and smart-home technological capabilities. For home buyers like these, solar panels are looking more and more relevant. On the other hand, you’ve got incredible pioneers like Tesla’s Elon Musk, who’s designed the Solar Roof made of up energy-capturing shingles in three cozy styles. Now that looks more like it!

Note that if you have an HOA, you should check the bylaws before you get in too deep. We wouldn’t want you to go through the process of buying and installing only to receive a notice from your HOA that they’re not allowed.

Just like any other technology, solar panels are evolving and improving in form and function. They’re looking thinner and less obtuse—more attractive to the picky homeowner. And while they’re improving in aesthetic, they’re also advancing in technology. Engineers are working on increasing solar cell efficiency, which describes how well a solar panel can convert the sun’s rays into electricity. Now, homeowners can and should opt for solar panels with higher efficiency ratings, because a high-efficiency solar panel can produce more electricity than a lower-efficiency panel of the same size, when existing under the same conditions.

Most solar panels are only 14–18% efficient, but the best solar panels will peak around 22% efficiency. Those numbers may seem low, but for a solar panel, that’s extremely efficient. If you’re doing research on solar panels, efficiency numbers will always be low because of the laws of physics—you can’t harness 100% of the sun’s rays using photovoltaics. That’s why the maximum amount of sunlight that PV solar systems can capture is about 33.7%, making 22% efficiency pretty sweet.

A little education on the advancements being made in the appearance and technology of solar panels and perhaps more homeowners would consider them… Unless they’re too expensive.

Cheaper than you think

The truth is, electricity isn’t getting any cheaper and homeowners all over the country are looking for ways to save money on utilities. We already know that people in some places in the U.S. are saving $40–$200 every month by switching to solar power. So how do we get more homeowners on board?

The problem is that many homeowners automatically assume that buying solar panels will be outrageously expensive and installing them will be a huge hassle. But that’s just not the case anymore. As demand for solar panels has increased, their cost has decreased. In fact, since 1998, the cost of solar panels on the average American home has dropped by nearly 70%. And you don’t have to install them yourself. There are many acclaimed companies across the country who will give you a quote and install them on your roof just like any other paid service.

If you’re ready to take the plunge and buy solar panels, but you can’t afford them outright, don’t stress. Although up-front purchase gives you the instant payback of lower energy bills and no interest fees, financing for solar panels exists! And some companies will even let you take out a loan for your solar panels with no up-front costs.

Tax incentives

If the affordability factor isn’t compelling enough, the tax incentives should be. The Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit program is a government program that allows American homeowners with solar panels to claim a qualified Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) of 30%! All you have to do is fill out a form and see if you qualify.

If you’re a first-time home buyer, your real estate agent can probably connect you with information about solar companies that other residents in the area have used, and give you information about solar energy tax incentives available to you for your desired home. Plus, using a simple Google search, all the reputable solar companies in your area will have the form on their site for you to fill out and see if your home qualifies.

Save money, save the planet

Not only can solar panels save you money, make you eligible for tax incentives, and increase the value of your home, solar energy is one of the cleanest forms of energy in the world. And looking at the long-term benefits of switching to solar, it might be a wise financial investment for you and your family.

The post Hot This Summer: Solar Panels Save You Money appeared first on Cardinal Financial.