By: Paul Simpson
17 May, 2018
Perform careful inspection on your new home’s insulation. Is it properly insulated? Keeping your ceiling well insulated will help you save more on your upcoming energy bill because it reduces the amount of heat coming to your home during summer while trapping the much needed warmth in the colder months of winter. There are different insulation options that you can try and the final decision relies on your particular needs and personal preferences. Among the popular selections are wool, loose fill, reflective foil and batts. In today’s modern generation more and more homeowners who support the environmental friendly campaign choose glass fibre batts insulation because they are made from recycled materials of about 80%. Other households opt for the installation of a whirly bird on their roofs to lessen the heat build-up in the ceiling.
Leaving a window or door open isn’t enough to keep a house cool. If you want to quickly cool down your home during the summer season, it would be best to implement cross ventilation where air can freely enter at one area and exit at another. A perfect example of cross ventilation is by opening your windows or doors on opposite sides, so that wind can come and go freely. Modern types of homes now have higher ceilings, spacious rooms, entry halls and sliding doors where you have the chance to provide more space for air to circulate properly.
Installing ceiling fans in the living room, dining room and bedrooms is better and more energy cost-efficient than air conditioners. The actual running cost of a fan is cheaper as compared to an air conditioner. If you want to be sure on how much you will save, find out the electricity tariff in which you are covered.
As I have mentioned, if you are considering doing some changes on your new home in order to convert it into an energy efficient home, you can start with your choices of fittings. For example, if you want to renovate your bathroom, buying a 3-star rated showerhead is an excellent choice than the regular showerheads because they approximately use only 6-7 litres of water per minute while a regular showerhead consumes 25 liters of water per minute. Don’t forget also to check the WELS (Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards) rating. A high WELS rating is highly recommended on fittings.
An effective way to lessen heat intrusion on the western part of your house is by installing an exterior shade structure. If you are in the middle stages of renovating your property ask your hired building company the cost of extending eaves. Another way to protect your home is with window tint, it can block up to 98% of ultra violet light, provides up to 65% heat rejection in the summer, therefore decreasing your energy costs.