10 Weird (But Smart!) Ideas for Creating an Energy Efficient Home

You’re easily spending way more than you should on utilities.

How do we know?

We’re definitely not mind readers (not yet). But the U.S. Department of Energy found that families spend more than $2,000 dollars a year on energy bills.

If these numbers look familiar, read on for 10 weird and surprising ways to have an energy efficient home.

1. Start Composting

Composting is super easy. While it’s great for fertilizing gardens and lawns, you can easily compost inside the comfort of a small apartment.

But what does a pile of fruit peels and old coffee grounds have to do with saving energy?

First and foremost, when you cut down on waste, you cut down energy costs.

In addition:

• Businesses save on landfill fees
• Landfills produce less methane
• Homes save water by reducing garbage disposal use
• Community save on Wastewater treatment

Composting also provides precious energy for you as well. The nutrient-rich soil produced from composting is perfect for growing fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables. 

2. Use Natural Sunlight

Besides being healthier, what’s the best part about natural sunlight?

It’s FREE!

That’s why you need to use every last bit of it to keep your home warm-free of charge.

On sunny days, draw your curtains so your home can absorb as much natural sunlight as it can. Then, shut them right before sunset to trap all that toasty warmth inside.

This trick works particularly well during spring and early summer where you have warm days and chilly nights.

3. Energy Efficient Drapes and Curtains

Who knew curtains could be so energy efficient?

Keeping your curtains drawn isn’t a year-round solution, however. For example, this is a terrible idea if you live in the oppressive summer heat.

Instead, hang energy efficient drapes and curtains. This effectively blocks out the sun’s harsh rays, leaving your home cool in the summer.

You can also use heavy energy efficient drapes to trap as much heat from your heater as possible. This way, you can turn down the thermostat earlier, saving you more on your heating bill.

4. Cool Off With a New Color Palette

An overlooked energy efficient home solution is staring you right in the face- literally.

Giving your home a fresh interior paint job is a clever way to make your home more cool and breathable. This is especially helpful for homes in particularly hot climates.

The general rule of thumb here is to use light colors. Darker shades absorb sunlight while lighter shades reflect it away.

Cool color tones include:

• Cool grays
• Light blues
• Lavender
• Eggshell
• Light teal
• Mint green

You can also cool down warmer colors. These colors would include your creamy light pinks, light beige, and soft light yellows.

5. Change Your Decor?

Now, that you have a cool new color palette, it’s time to decorate. That’s right. Your flair for decorating can save more energy than you think!

You already learned how awesome curtains are for saving energy. In hot climates, use breezy, light-colored sheer drapes that don’t absorb sunlight.

In colder climates, hang decorative tapestries to insulate your home. You can also use big comfy chairs and ottomans to insulate areas of your home where it’s drafty.

Another overlooked homeowner tip? Call a home window company to replace your old windows to stop those chilly winter drafts. Windows are notorious for leaking air.

New windows are also a great way to give your trusty HVAC system a break.

6. Insulate with Rugs

Speaking of decor, another weird way to create a more energy efficient home is to use more rugs!

What?

That’s right. If you didn’t like rugs now, you’ll soon become a convert after owning your first home.

You truly understand the costs of home ownership when you get your first energy bill. And you’ll soon learn how great rugs are at insulating the floors of your home.

Rugs cover up cracks, stopping drafts from coming up the floor and bringing down the temperature of your home. This is especially useful for old homes with little to no floor insulation.

Another solution to floor drafts is to just install carpet. But if you like the look of shiny hardwood floors, then you have to invest in some rugs that you like.

7. Don’t Be Idle

While it’s easy to just shut off the lights, devices like computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets are a bit more deceptive.

You may think you’re shutting these devices off, but you’re really just putting them in idle mode. This can use much energy as when they’re on.

According to a recent study, almost 1/4 of all home energy is wasted on idle devices!

Therefore, don’t just sign off of your device. Make sure to power it off, leaving no power lights on. This also includes unplugging your AC charger from your powered-off device.

8. Energy Efficient Oven Hack

This one is for the foodies!

Forget what the recipe says. You don’t have to keep your oven on the entire time.

Since you’ve already preheated your oven, and the oven is pretty toasty, you can actually shut off your oven 7 minutes prior before taking out your food.

This may not seem like a lot. But every little bit helps.

Furthermore, preheating isn’t always necessary either. Only preheat your oven when you absolutely have to.

9. Keep Your Fridge Out of the Sun 

Need another energy efficient kitchen hack? Here’s one you haven’t thought of.

Move your fridge away from sunlight. The more sunlight warms up your fridge, the more energy it takes to cool it down.

You should also leverage any natural cool areas in your energy efficient home. For example, a cold and crispy mudroom is the perfect place to store fresh apples during fall and winter.

10. Energy Efficient Home Gadgets

Lucky for thrifty consumers, there’s been enormous progress in energy efficient home gadgets. Especially, solar-powered technology.

Love home brewed tea? There’s a solar-powered kettle for that. Love a good camp cookout? There’s a solar-powered grill for that too.

Here are several more energy-efficient gadgets to look out for:

• Solar outdoor fridge
• Solar-powered battery packs
• Automated thermostats
• Energy monitoring devices
• Solar smartphone chargers
• Solar-powered keyboards

When buying new electronics and Appliances, look out for the products with official energy-efficient stars. This will let you know if your computer or washing machine is built to save energy.

Start Saving Now!

Saving energy is a rush. The more you save, the more inspired you’ll be to find even more ways to save energy.

Keep this guide handy as you transform your house into a complete energy efficient home. And check back often for more weird and wonderful ways to make your life easier at home. 

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