Most people don not know how easy it is to make their homes more energy efficient. Huge savings in heating, cooling and electricity costs can be accomplished through very simple changes, most of which can be done by the homeowner themselves.

Half the energy used in your home goes towards heating and cooling. There are some simple alternatives, such as, installing a ceiling fan. Periodically changing your filter on your furnace and air conditioner. Turning down the thermostat from 75 to 70 deg F will save 10% on heating costs.

Demand-type water heaters (tankless or instantaneous) provide hot water only as it is needed. They don’t produce the standby energy losses associated with traditional storage water heaters, which will save on energy costs. Tankless water heaters heat water directly without the use of a storage tank. Ensure you have a good filtration system installed when using a tankless water system, calcium can cause expensive problems if you have hard water.

Lighting your home can use up to 11% of your total energy bill. Changing your lighting can help reduce your energy costs. CFL type lights use 75% less energy than regular incandescent lights and last up to 10 times longer. Advances in lighting controls offer further energy savings by reducing the amount of time that lights are on but not being used.

Sealing and insulating your home is one of the most cost-effective ways to make a home more comfortable and energy-efficient, and you can do it yourself. A tightly sealed home can improve comfort and indoor air quality while reducing utility bills. Removing window mounted air conditioners and sealing around electrical switches and outlets are simple tasks most homeowners can do themselves.

Check your attic for leaks and visible holes. Because hot air rises, air leaks are most likely to occur in the attic. Homeowners can perform a variety of repairs and maintenance to their attics that save them money on cooling and heating. In cold weather, you may see frosty areas in the insulation caused by warm, moist air condensing and then freezing as it hits the cold attic air. Seal up the attic access panel with weatherstripping. You can cut a piece of fiberglass or rigid foamboard insulation in the same size as the attic hatch and glue it to the back of the attic access panel.

One of the most popular water savers is the dual-flush toilet. Dual-flush toilets have been used in Europe and Australia for years and are now gaining in popularity in the U.S. Dual-flush toilets let you choose between a 1-gallon (or less) flush for liquid waste, and a 1.6-gallon flush for solid waste. Dual-flush 1.6-GPF toilets reduce water consumption by an additional 30%. Changing your shower head is also a good way to conserve water without giving up any loss of comfort.

Use efficient ENERGY STAR-rated appliances and electronics. These devices, approved by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program, include TVs, home theater systems, DVD players, CD players, receivers, speakers, and more. According to the EPA, if just 10% of homes used energy-efficient appliances, it would reduce carbon emissions by the equivalent of 1.7 million acres of trees.

Having your home inspected by The Barrie Home inspector will allow you to have a Free Thermal Scan of your home. To learn more about Thermal Imaging visit www.infared-detection.com/. Thermal imaging can detect low or missing areas of insulation which is invisible to the human eye. Find small air leaks or even any moisture problems that have not yet made their presence known.

Learn more about the Innisfil Home Inspection Company when buying in Innisfil. Visit www.innisfilrealestaateagents.info to find Innisfil Real Estate Agents who work “Fufll Out ” for you.