Our homes are like our cars, regular maintenance improves its shelf life and helps us avoid unnecessary repairs. You, like many homeowners, may have a tight budget. What if you could lower your energy bill or save yourself money by proactively maintaining your home? Here are five small improvements that will save you money (and heartache)
Seal Your Windows
You want to keep the cold air out in the winter and keep cool air in during the summer. Your ability to maintain the appropriate temperature efficiently impacts your cost. One way to save on your energy bill is to seal any small cracks around your window. Your investment is up to $30 with a savings of 10-20% on your energy cost.
Clean Your Gutters
Gutters are life savers if you maintain them. If you neglect routine gutter-cleaning, you could have costly, long-term damage. Twigs, leaves and other debris keeps the gutter from functioning properly. While the average cost to have a professional clean your gutter is under $200, repairing your roof and structural damages can be in the thousands.
Install Low-Flow Shower Heads
The standard shower head uses three to four gallons of water per minute. The average person spends approximately 8.2 minutes in the shower. This means if you have a standard shower head, you will use between 8,979 and 11,972 gallons of water per year. If you buy a low-flow shower head that uses 2.0 gallons per minute, you can cut your water usage by as much as 50 percent. You can buy a low-flow shower head for about $20.
Change Your HVAC Air Filters Regularly
People that suffer from dust allergies cannot escape it by staying at Home. Your home is a source of air contamination. Air filters improve your air quality, protect your HVAC system and reduce your energy use by 15 percent.
There are two types of filters: disposable and reusable. Reusable filters require a higher initial investment and save you money over time. Before you rush out to buy a reusable filter for your HVAC unit, keep in mind:
- Disposable filters remove more pollutants.
- Small particles such as certain bacteria still pass through them. This can trigger allergic reactions.
- Your HVAC system can get a build up of debris which can lead to unnecessary (and expensive) service repairs.
Seal Leaky Faucets
Let’s assume you have one leaky faucet that drips ten drops of water per minute. Did you know that one leaky faucet equates to one gallon of water wasted per day? It only costs between $40 to $100 to fix a leaky faucet. It is definitely worth the investment to lower your household water consumption. It also shows you care about our environment.
Home improvements do not have to cost a lot to save you a lot. You do not have to do a big renovation or buy an expensive solar power system to save money. You can tackle most of these repairs yourself or contact a professional that offers these services.