Green is definitely the new black, and by that I mean that making your home environmentally friendly and energy efficient is the hottest new trend for homeowners. Not only does becoming energy efficient save you money on your bills and lower you energy consumption but it also increases re-sale value of your home. When purchasing a home, people have begun to make energy efficiency in homes a high priority in decision making. With this trend, comes some expenses in the short run, but in the long run the amount of money that you save is a lot more than what you spend immediately. For those who are not monetarily driven, the positive is simple; you are wasting less energy and making the world a greener place.  Here are some tips to make your home more energy efficient and increase the resale value.

• Automated HVAC systems are now able to maintain a more energy efficient temperature while a home is empty. For those who have set daily schedules it is easy to set a low energy consuming temperature while the house is scheduled to be empty and then set the desired temperature to be achieved when you return. This uses a lot less energy than leaving the HVAC system on your desired temperature till you get home. Zones can also be created within the house, so if you have a basement or room that no one goes in, the temperature in that room can be set low. Or if one family member likes to sleep in a cooler temperature, their room temperature can be lowered without lowering the temperature of the whole house.
• Water heaters, like automated HVAC systems can be programmed based on the schedule of the homeowner. If the homeowner is going to be away for an extended period of time the water heater can shut off and automatically turn on in preparation for the return of the homeowner. This has a very positive effect on energy efficiency in the entire home as heat and AC are the two major energy consuming products that a lot of families have because they are constantly running. Another option for water heaters is the tankless gas water heater. This water heater only turns on when hot water is being used and turns off immediately after the hot water stops being used.
• Installing an automatic dimmer system to the lighting in your home can decrease energy consumption by changing the amount of light that each room has depending on the time of day. This is especially helpful to those who leave their lights on all the time, by accident.
• A lot of energy is used each year by charging devices for an unnecessary amount of time. If you leave a charger plugged into the wall it still uses energy without even charging anything. To make energy consumption more efficient, there are power adapters that have been designed to cut off the power it uses to charge a device as soon as the device is fully charged. This will cut down on monthly energy costs by a lot because most people will leave their devices plugged in to charge overnight or for an extended period of time, which is unnecessary and expensive. This installation is also one of the less expensive ones, saving you even more money in the long run.

For any inquires about installing energy efficient technologies in your home please contact us at (781) 246-7700.