Note: this is part 2 of my home energy saving tips. You can find tips 1 through 3 here: 7 Little Known Home Energy Saving Tips (part 1)

Tip #4: Improve Heating and Cooling Efficiency

There are many home energy saving tips to help you improve the efficiency of your homes heating and cooling system. Replacing and old furnace with a new energy efficient one is always a good idea but can be too expensive for many homeowners. Instead, I will focus on some clever but effective tips that will not really cost you anything.

One of the best ways to improve the efficiency of your furnace is to check your duct work for leaks and seal the leaks with foil tape. This will make sure your warm air is getting to where you want it.

Another clever tip is to adjust your wind coverings based on the seasons. In the northern hemisphere, the majority of sunlight comes from the south. So during the winter you should keep your window coverings open to let sunlight and heat in. And during the summer you should keep them closed to reduce the amount of heat produced by sunlight.

Tip #5: Check Refrigerator Efficiency

Because your refrigerator runs constantly, 24/7, it is the most costly appliance you own in terms of energy consumption. So it is important to make sure that it runs as efficient as possible.

Check your refrigerator for an air tight seal to ensure that it is not operating at a drastically reduced efficiency. This is as easy as closing a piece of paper half way in and half way out of the door. Pull lightly on the paper. If it moves easily then you need to replace the seal.

If your refrigerator is older, I do recommend replacing it with a newer energy efficient one which will pay off in the long run but I also know that this is not an option for many.

Tip #6: Build a Solar Water Heater

Your hot water heater is one of the biggest energy hogs of your home. This is why building a solar water heater is one of the top home energy saving tips to save you money.

Building a simple Batch Collector is very simple, straightforward, and inexpensive. All it requires is a little bit of plumbing which you can do yourself and sunny spot in your back yard to place the collector.

If you need a quick set of plans, there are some great guides online that will walk you through the entire project from start to finish.

Tip #7: Build a Home Solar Power System

Once you have followed the previous home energy saving tips and have greatly improved the efficiency of your home, you can take the next step and begin generating your power by building a home solar power system.

But I want to stress the importance of following the previous tips because the more efficient your home is the smaller and less expensive of a solar power system it will need.

These days, you do not need to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a system. Many people are saving tons of money and building their own home solar power system for cheap. And just like the solar water heater, there are some good and guides that can show you exactly how to do it.

I promise that will a little effort on your part that you can take these home energy saving tips to the bank.

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