As part of becoming more environmentally-conscious individuals, one key part is cutting energy consumption around your house. There are various ways we can contribute to helping protect our planet just by altering some behaviors or choices throughout each day. This will also potentially save your family money on bills and even homeowners insurance.
Turning the lights off when you leave a room and taking shorter or cooler showers are all ways people have been using to become greener throughout the years, but there are even more methods allowing energy efficiency around the house.
Smart home insurance discounts are available for people who get devices installed in their homes that control things like temperature, lighting, and security. We’ll discuss how these purchases are some of the best for the dual purposes of helping the environment and keeping your house safe and secured.
#1 – Install Solar Panels
Solar panels have become an integral component of America’s environmental movement for years now. Their concept makes intuitive sense; harnessing sunlight as power for your home could be ideal in states that enjoy plenty of sun-filled skies all year long.
Solar panels are expensive to install initially, but they often bring the value of your home up drastically in the long run. Selling a home with solar panels will bring you a lot of cashback that initially wasn’t part of the value of the home. It doesn’t mean solar panels are perfect.
Some people suggest solar panels increase the odds of a power outage in your neighborhood. Talk to your neighbors about any concerns and also to your solar panel installation team. They can give you tips on maintaining your panels and alleviating any concerns you may have about having them in your home.
If you want to learn more about the benefits of free solar panels in Florida, view here for valuable information on how you can harness clean and sustainable energy for your home.
#2 – Use Smart Home Devices
Cellphone technology makes being energy efficient easier in your home than ever. Too often we forget to switch off lights before leaving or set our thermostat too high wasting both energy and heat on an unoccupied house.
Smart home devices connect your cell phone to your house’s electricity. You can control the temperature output of your thermostat, the lights in each room, and even appliances throughout your home with apps.
Homeowners insurance providers appreciate smart home devices because they help keep a house running smoothly when its residents are away, whether on vacation or running daily errands.
Remember though that proper installation and setup are crucial. While DIY methods might seem tempting, it’s often best to turn to a professional service like axisocappliance.com for installation. These experts are equipped with the knowledge and tools to ensure that your smart devices are installed correctly and optimized for maximum efficiency. Proper installation also reduces the risk of malfunctions, ensuring the longevity of the appliances.
Insurance companies love these smart home devices because they can be used to lock doors and check for theft or security breaches. Having a more secure home brings down your insurance costs so it’s something everyone should consider.
#3 – Encourage Non-Electrical Entertainment
With technology so often surrounding every corner of our homes, it’s made it even more difficult to be efficient and save the environment. This is why it’s about time parents start encouraging themselves and their kids to have fun in the ways people did before electronics took hold of everyone.
Brainstorm ways to enjoy each other’s company without the TV, video game consoles, or other devices. Plan a day outside in the backyard with friends and family. Throwing a baseball, barbecuing a steak, and sipping on your favorite cold beverage in the company of loved ones is a great way to not use electricity when you are searching for fun.
This also helps you get in touch with the simple side of life. Electronics have made things more complicated. When you spend too much time in front of a screen, you’re taking away from the joy of seeing the world.
Doing this even a couple of times a week should cut down on electrical bills and help your family become environmentally conscious. Eventually, you won’t even notice you’re doing something out of the ordinary. Being outside without electronics will become a natural part of your routine.
#4 – Maintain and Repair Your Home
Older homes need maintenance and repairs to make sure they aren’t costing you more money in the long run. Let’s start with water damage.
Old pipes in buildings over 25 years old often start leaking slowly and without people noticing. This can cause you to lose money on your water bill each month.
Even if you don’t think there’s a leak in your home, call a plumber every once in a while and give your pipes a good inspection if your home was built decades ago. This will bring the value of the house up to when it’s time to sell it, similarly to solar panel installation.
Making a home modern can feel expensive in the short term, but will usually pay off in the future. Insurance companies will also like seeing these improvements to your home. Home insurance for older homes is often more expensive because of the outdated materials used to build the home. Updating these things will look good to insurers.
#5 – Send Certain Clothing to the Cleaners
Dry cleaning is a great way to become more environmentally conscious with your laundry. Professional cleaners often have more knowledge about how to clean your clothing efficiently so there is less water wasted, especially when it comes to items difficult to wash.
Blankets, suits, dresses, and other non-basic clothing items need to be cleaned in an industrial washer by an experienced cleaner. Trying to do these yourself might lead to wasting resources if you have to rewash because you made a mistake.
The variety of ways to save money and become green around your house are seemingly limitless. Brainstorm your ideas around these tips, and you’ll see life can become a whole lot cheaper for your wallet and healthier for the planet.
Shawn Laib writes and researches for the insurance comparison site, Clearsurance.com. He wants to help people figure out ways to become more eco-friendly in their daily lives.
