From Guest Blogger Brooke Chaplan: Ideas to Make Your Home Energy Efficient for the Everyday Treehugger

Making your home more energy efficient has many benefits. Wasting less energy means keeping more of your hard-earned money. Energy-efficient homes are also more environmentally friendly, have a smaller carbon footprint and may even have a higher resale value. Try these four ideas to get a big boost in energy efficiency.

Add Insulation

An uninsulated home allows for a great deal of unwanted air exchange with the outdoors. Adding insulation to the walls, attic and flooring helps to keep the heated or cooled air inside. You could do your own insulation with fiberglass rolls. Hiring a professional allows you to choose from recycled insulation such as cellulose or denim fibers. Sprayed foam insulation delivers the highest level of thermal resistance.

Prevent Air Leaks

Air leaks around the windows and doors are a common place where energy is wasted. During the winter, hang heavy drapes. Consider using a DIY sealing kit to keep cold drafts out. In the summer, keeps the blinds or curtains closed during the day. Replace loose or missing caulk and weather-stripping to stop the exchange of air with the outdoors.

Maintain HVAC Systems

Your home’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) is likely to be the biggest user of electricity or natural gas. Some companies, like Taylor Heating Inc., realize that maintenance is key to making your HVAC equipment more energy efficient. Schedule a spring and fall tune-up. This tune-up should include air filter replacement and lubrication of all moving parts. If your equipment is old and in need of replacement, choose a new system that is properly sized and make sure that it carries the Energy Star certification. These systems use 30 percent less energy to heat, ventilate or cool your home.

Use Green Roofing

Much like you lose heat from your head, your home loses heat through the roof. When it comes time to replace your roof, consider green materials. Metal roofing is infinitely recyclable and lasts for at least 50 years. A literal green roof, consisting of layers of waterproof materials covered by soil and plants, can help to reduce the urban heat island effect. Consider a light colored roof that will reflect the sun’s heat.

Improving your home’s energy efficiency is an investment. Caulk and weather-stripping are low-cost and easy to do on your own. For the bigger projects, such as HVAC maintenance and roofing replacements, it is best to hire a professional. Your home will be more comfortable and affordable after making these energy-efficient upgrades and improvements.