Home Material Choices That Slash Your Monthly Energy Bills

You spend a lot of time trying to cut your monthly energy bills, though you always hit a limit of what’s possible. No matter how much you turn the thermostat down or how often you remember to turn off the lights, your home feels like it’s pretty expensive to run. Is this normal? Possibly, but it could all be down to the materials used throughout your home. Newer properties are now built with better and more energy-efficient materials that help them become better at trapping heat in the winter and cooling the home down in the summer. Thus, you deal with one of the main energy costs: paying for heating and cooling solutions. 

Older properties tend to be built with inefficient materials, so let’s have a look at some of the best material choices to slash those energy bills. If you swap what you’ve currently got for something down below, you’ll be amazed at how much energy you save throughout the year. 

Attic Insulation

It’s easy to think that your roofing material is a big factor in determining your home’s energy efficiency. The fact is that most roofing materials are equally energy-efficient, and it’s more to do with the insulation inside the roof. Generally speaking, spray foam insulation is the most energy efficient – though you should also pay attention to how much insulation is in your attic. If there’s not enough, then even the best insulation won’t help your home. 

The best thing to do is look for insulation with an ENERGY STAR rating, so you know just how efficient it is. Clear out the old and ineffective stuff, install new insulation, and your home will immediately be better at maintaining the right temperature. Some people like to combine good insulation with metal, reflective roofing – but that’s up to you. A metal roof helps to reflect the heat away during the summer, which combines well with good attic insulation for the winter. 

Siding

Your home depends on siding as a protective barrier that covers the exterior and prevents weather damage. At the same time, siding plays a big role in energy efficiency. Poor siding can let heat leak out during the winter, which is why your house always feels so cold. Get on the phone to some of the best siding companies in your area and find a few quotes for insulated vinyl siding. 

Insulated vinyl siding is a popular choice because it comes with a built-in foam backing that insulates your home better than other types of siding. As a result, you end up with a more thermally-efficient home that doesn’t require all-day heating during the winter. Will this make your house too hot during the summer? No, because the insulation and the siding trap cool air inside your home too. You can turn the AC on for a small while and retain the right level of coolness for longer. 

Flooring

Your flooring can impact how energy efficient your home is. Though, it’s more to do with how the flooring makes you feel. For example, carpeted flooring is great and can suit many lifestyles, but it has a tendency to make you feel warm. That’s great in the winter – but what about during the summer? It’s hard for you to cool down when you walk barefoot on carpet and feel the warmth of the fibers beneath. 

Viny flooring or engineered wood flooring are better options overall. You could have carpet in the bedrooms or upstairs hallway, but those two flooring choices are better-suited downstairs where you spend most of your time. During the summer, the slight coldness underfoot makes you cool down. This reduces the need to turn the AC on full blast. Then, you simply get some large rugs out during the winter and wear slippers so your feet don’t feel cold. 

Windows

The way you use your windows can impact your home’s energy efficiency. The window materials themselves also play a critical role. Single-pane windows are not good enough anymore. To be honest, they’ve not been good enough for generations now, so make sure you’re rocking with double-pane at least. Triple-pane is even better, though it obviously costs more money to install these windows. 

In both cases, thicker windows provide more insulation to stop air from escaping or entering your home. This is, as you can imagine, vital for maintaining the right temperature throughout the year. Leaky windows can let all the hot air escape your home when you turn the heater on. This means you turn it up higher or have it on for longer to try and reach your desired temperature. During the summer months, your windows then let all the cold air out when the ACs on, so you have the opposite problem. 

Thicker and more energy-efficient windows will keep hot air in during the winter, and cold air in during the summer. Speaking of which, don’t forget to open or close your windows depending on your needs. Close them when you have your HVAC system on so the air can circulate properly and the system runs more efficiently. Open them for a bit when the HVAC is off so you can let fresh air in your home. 

Doors

Last but not least, the material of your doors will help you slash energy bills. We’re only talking about external doors here – so, your front/back door and maybe any other doors that lead outside. Upgrade them to insulated core doors so they provide better insulation when shut. 

Also, look for door installations that come with great weatherstripping to seal off gaps around the door. This is a big factor in rising energy bills, so seal those gaps off and save money. As with pretty much any product out there, it helps if you find a door with a good ENERGY STAR rating. 

How much money can these material choices help you save every month? Well, it depends on your other energy-efficient habits. But, don’t be surprised if changing the materials here and there will save you hundreds per year. Especially if you’re replacing something old and inefficient with a much more robust alternative.