8 Simple Ways to Make Your Home More Energy-Efficient

Energy efficiency in New York City has been graded since 2019, and according to the Department of Buildings, only 20% of the NYC homes deserved to bear the A mark. Bear, because buildings are required to post the letter grade publicly, at the front. When you also consider the fact that more than half of all buildings earned the poorest two grades, you start to worry that it must be incredibly difficult to make your home more energy-efficient. It isn't. The buildings that earned the A grade are not among the poshest across the boroughs, but they do have environmentally-conscious owners and tenants. There are several easy ways to become one of them.

What did the A-graders do differently?

Manhattan learned the lesson of 2020 and surpassed Queens and Brooklyn last year. Perhaps the competitive spirit kicked in, and nothing else but the As is good enough. Or perhaps the homeowners realized that they could achieve significant savings through simple and affordable changes. Transparency helped. Being able to act on information and see the improvement as a direct result is most rewarding.

Buildings made the biggest impact by changing the boiler from oil to gas and through the insulation of steam pipes. But on a level closer to an average NYC apartment owner, excellent results can be achieved through reduced energy consumption by:

1. Replacing incandescent light with LED lights.
2. Insulating floors, attic, windows, and doors.
3. Investing in ENERGY STAR certified appliances.
4. Taking advantage of smart tech.
5. Adjusting the heating/cooling temperature.
6. Utilizing passive solar heating and natural light.
7. Plugging in appliances only when they’re needed.
8. Running washing and drying programs during off-peak hours.

While some of the above-listed practices don't require any upfront investments, others do. Design and schedule any energy efficiency improvements before you begin remodeling your NYC home to avoid unnecessary expenses.

1. Replacing incandescent lightbulbs

Despite various rate schedules provided by utility companies, New Yorkers still pay some of the highest electricity bills in the States. If nothing else, the prices of electricity are a great motivation behind the decision to reduce consumption. The easiest way is to swap incandescent lightbulbs with LEDs. True, LEDs are a bit more expensive, but you don't need to change them all at once. Your incandescent bulbs will burn out quickly enough.

2. Insulating home surfaces

Uninsulated large home surfaces like outer walls, ceilings, and floors give off the most heat. With the right kind of air sealing and insulation, you can prevent these energy leaks, make your home more energy-efficient, and save on electricity for heating and cooling all at once. However, making these expensive and demanding remodeling works makes most sense before moving into your new NYC home. Once the place is properly insulated and with the help of Manhattan movers, you can start the easiest possible transfer to your eco-friendlier home.

3. Buying ENERGY STAR appliances

These appliances certified by the U.S. Department of Energy will use between ten to fifty percent less energy per year than non-energy efficient ones. When you consider that, on average, home appliances last between ten and twenty years, Energy Star will make your home both energy-efficient and help you save on bills.

4. Installing smart technology

The whole logic behind energy efficiency is achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted energy. It means that when you do spend it, you put it to the best possible use. You can achieve that with smart home features that help you monitor, control, and adjust your consumption. Smart lights with sensors and switches are simple but affordable ways to make your home more energy-efficient.

5. Adjusting the temperature of your heaters

If you intend to spend less energy on heating in winter and cooling during summer, consider programmable thermostats. Their more expensive counterparts, smart thermostats, are more intuitive, have additional features, and help you make more significant savings. You can also adjust the temperature of your water heater to 120 degrees F and at the same time save energy, avoid heat losses, and reduce mineral buildup and corrosion.

6. Taking advantage of natural light and passive solar heating

If installing energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment is above your spending limit, take advantage of passive heating and cooling methods. If your home receives plenty of daylight, keep the blinds or shutters open during winter and close them in summer. By regulating the amount of light and heat, you are affecting electricity consumption both from lighting and heating or cooling. However, it is advisable to start saving for energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment as well as high-performance windows.

7. Living unplugged

You don't need to go around the home and (un)plug appliances to cut on vampire power consumption. Smart plugs will help you eliminate this phantom load, also known as standby power. The most standby power-hungry appliances are laptops and desktop computers, TVs and game consoles, printers and scanners, kitchen appliances like blenders and microwaves, heaters and ACs, phone chargers, and Wi-Fi modems. Simply put a smart plug into a power outlet and connect to it an appliance you occasionally use. The only power you'll need to turn the appliance on again is the power of your voice. Savings made this way may not sound as much, but even if you make your new NY home only a bit more energy-efficient, it's worth it.

8. Running energy gobblers during off-peak hours

Some of the biggest energy spenders are washing and drying appliances. Washing machines spend considerably more energy to heat water than to wash laundry. If you can't afford a new, energy-efficient washing machine, at least you can run it at a lower temperature. Also, you can start your washer and dryer during off-peak hours. Depending on the utility provider in NYC, a cheaper, off-peak rate is normally between 11 pm and 1 am and lasts until between 6 am and 8 am. You can expect more affordable electricity on weekends and holidays, although it would be wise to check with your provider.

If you're not sure where to start - a professional auditor does!

Whether you live in a pre-war complex or a skyscraper, there are ways to make your home more energy-efficient, and they often start with a comprehensive energy audit. It reveals all energy leaks, opportunities for improvement, and benefits that come with fixes. You can also try a free online home assessment tool if you're curious about ways to reduce energy consumption in your NYC home before conducting a professional audit.

Meta description: If you decided to make your home more energy-efficient, you might need a few tips. Choose between no-budget, low-cost and big-ticket options.

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