Residential | Commercial Call Us: 877.572.0442 ☰ MENU 6 Tips for Finding an Energy Efficient Home Dec 01, 2017 When looking for a new home, there are many things to think about. Size and price are not the only factors to consider. The location, schools in the area, local crime record, and surrounding neighbors are also important factors. One thing that is becoming more common to consider is how energy efficient a home is. Here are some tips and tricks to find an energy-efficient home. Insulation is important. You can request to have the insulation checked as part of your new home inspection. R-Value measures how well your insulation resists heat flow. While the desired R-Value may change depending on where you live, it is easy to find it out in different areas. Look for any air leaks inside and around the house. Air leaks will make your HVAC system work harder and drive up your energy costs! Check to see if the appliances are all energy efficient and have Energy Star labels. If they do not, consider investing in one new appliance every 6 months - year, and watch your electricity bills drop dramatically. Find a south-facing house. It will get more sunlight and you will not have to rely on indoor lighting during the day. In the winter months, the home will also heat faster and easier, allowing you to turn off heaters to save energy. Make sure the house is not too big. The bigger the house, the harder to heat and cool. Sometimes extra space is detrimental, so try picking a reasonably sized house. Look to see if the house has solar panels. You will save a lot of money by utilizing solar energy. If not, you might want to consider adding them after the house is purchased. There are many ways for a house to become more energy efficient. With these tips, hopefully you will be able to find the perfect home that will not only shrink your carbon footprint. Source: https://energy.gov/energysaver/insulation Ashley Leach Ashley Leach is a freelance writer and digital content marketer with a background in journalism, digital reporting, and marketing for numerous industries. She's found her perfect fit at North American Power in writing about home maintenance and repairs, energy efficiency, and smart home technology. Most Viewed Pages Where does your Power come from? How Much Heat Does a Lamp or a Light Bulb Give Off? Fall Energy Saving Tips! Cutting Costs Around the House The Four Best Things You Can do to Cut Energy Use in your Home This or That Thursday: Coffee Maker, or Toaster? National Cut Back on Energy Day! North American Power Wins 2016 “Excellence in Customer Service” Award What You Ought to Know About Kilowatt Hours - kWh Explained Winter Energy Saving Tips Categories Efficiency News Newsroom Tech Serving Customers in: Connecticut Georgia Illinois Maine Maryland New Hampshire New Jersey New York Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island Texas FEATURED IN SHOP ENERGY PLANS Shop electricity rates Shop natural gas rates After you Enroll LEARN Home energy management Understandabill™ Frequently asked questions Energy deregulation What is a KWH? Deregulation About Electricity About Natural Gas CONTACT US North American Power 1500 Rankin Rd., Suite 200 Houston, TX 77073 Contact us ABOUT US Who we are Careers Connect with us © 2021, North American Power & Gas, LLC Licensed in CT, GA, IL, MD, ME, NH, NY, NJ, OH, PA, RI, TX Legal | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use