Energy-Efficient Tips Every Homebuyer Should Know

If you’re considering purchasing a new home, energy efficiency should be a top priority. Proper insulation, one of the most effective energy-saving tips for homeowners, plays a crucial role in reducing energy consumption and lowering electricity bills. Pairing this with energy-efficient appliances and prioritising sustainable home improvements ensures a home that’s not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly. 

Understanding how to make your home more energy-efficient from the start will help you create a comfortable, sustainable living space that aligns with modern energy-conscious living.

1. Fill Your Garden With Trees

If you have a garden, this is one of the most essential energy-saving suggestions. Here’s why:

• Shade your outdoor AC units in the garden to boost their efficiency.
• Plant deciduous trees for shade during summer and sunlight in winter when they shed leaves.
• Plant evergreen trees on wind-exposed sides of the house to act as natural windbreaks.

2. Use Electronics Correctly

Devices plugged in can consume power even when unused. A Natural Resources Canada study revealed that electricity bills increase by 5% to 10% when turned-off devices remain plugged in. To address this, here’s what you should do:

• Unplug all devices and chargers after using them.
• Control energy consumption via your smartphone by turning off sockets when the connected electronic device is not in use.

3. Adjust Ventilation Systems

While a home’s design plays a significant role in energy conservation, incorporating specific habits can further reduce energy usage. Here are some effective energy-efficient home ideas:

Avoid overusing air conditioning units. Opt for natural ventilation or ceiling fans when temperatures allow, and during winter, rely on central heating only as needed. Additionally, Improve home insulation to maximise energy savings, reducing the need to overwork heating or cooling systems.

4. Swap to Energy-Saving Bulbs

One of the quickest ways to save energy at home is to get rid of those old bulbs! Modern LED bulbs offer the same lighting quality as traditional bulbs, often surpassing them. They can also reduce energy consumption and last longer.

5. Utilise Curtains

Curtains are more than decorative; they’re a great way to save on energy bills. Here’s how:

• In the summer: Close the curtains, especially on windows facing the sun, to keep your home cooler.
• In the winter: Open the curtains during sunny days to let in natural warmth, reducing the need to turn up the heating.

6. Check Your Home Energy Consumption

Examining your home’s energy consumption levels can help pinpoint wastage causes. You can hire a certified energy expert to conduct a comprehensive home inspection or do it yourself by checking the following:

• Air leaks can lead to reduced heating or cooling efficiency.
• Appropriate insulation levels to ensure efficient energy conservation.
• Efficiency of household appliances.
• Lighting bulbs (in terms of their energy consumption rates).
• Air leakage spots in and out of the house, such as doors, windows, plumbing openings, electrical switches, and more.

7. Replace Old Appliances

Older appliances often lack the energy-saving capabilities of modern models. Upgrading to smart devices with efficient inverter motors is one of the best energy-efficient home ideas. These devices consume less energy and allow control via smartphones, enabling better energy management and reduced costs.

8. Install Motion Sensor Lighting

Instead of relying on memory to turn off lights, consider installing motion sensors. These devices ensure that lights are only on when necessary, significantly reducing energy consumption. Motion-sensor lighting is a simple yet effective energy-efficient home idea for reducing electricity usage.

9.Adopt Daylighting Techniques

Maximising natural light is among the most impactful energy-efficient home ideas. Add skylights or larger windows on sunlit facades to reduce reliance on artificial lighting. This not only saves on electricity bills but also creates a bright, welcoming atmosphere in your living space.

10. Set up Solar Heaters

Solar water heaters are becoming more common worldwide, and they remove the need to heat water with petroleum or grid electricity. Installing a solar heating system is highly recommended to benefit from it during summer, spring, and autumn, and partially during sunny winter days. To get the most from the system, wrap the water pipes to keep the water’s temperature steady until it comes out of your taps.

11. Use Solar Panels

Solar panels are an efficient way to generate electricity from renewable sources. As their use becomes more common, the world is moving towards abandoning non-renewable energy sources like fuel. To get the most from this technology, it’s recommended to consult a specialised company for installation, choose the right number of panels based on your energy consumption, and maintain them to ensure continued efficiency.

12. Educate Family Members

The habits of the household members are often reflected in the energy consumption levels. To ensure optimum energy conservation in your home, it is crucial that everyone in the family understands the significance of energy conservation and actively participates in reducing energy consumption. You can achieve this by implementing these energy-efficient tips and keep discussing ways for energy conservation both in and out of the home.

With these energy-efficient tips, you can achieve a more sustainable and eco-conscious lifestyle. Sharing this vision, Aldar aims to contribute to a sustainable future. As part of our commitment, we recently became the first partner from the real estate sector to join the Clean Energy Business Council. Our goal is to reduce net-zero emissions and actively work towards establishing a greener and more energy-efficient real estate industry.