Energy bills are a common trouble for many households. The electricity charges seem to be constantly on the rise, with no end in sight. Your utility bills are one of those things that feel as if you have no control, but the reality is that you can do a lot to reduce these charges while also boosting the appraisal on your home’s value.
Learning how appraisals work is a great use of your time as a homeowner. Your home is a cash-rich commodity that can be leveraged for a variety of different capital-intensive purposes. A low appraisal, therefore, is a product of poor stewardship over this essential commodity. One area in which this really stands out is in your ability to lower your utility bills while boosting the value of your home—a one-two punch for increasing your overall net worth and peace of mind at the same time!
1. Your windows are getting up there in age.
Windows are one of the primary spaces in which heat leaks out of the home, causing excess energy bills and a drain on your financial resources. Installing new windows gives you access to a better set of security-minded features in the home as well as a cost-saving alternative that will last for many years into the future.
Contrary to that age-old explanation that glass is a supercooled liquid that continues to change form over the years, your glass panes are indeed an elastic solid. This doesn’t mean that they are impervious to the elements though. Glass panes and the fitting structures that bind them to the frames wear out over time, allowing condensation and air to transpose themselves in between the dual panes of your window. This process degrades the effectiveness of your windows, ultimately leading to increased sound, temperature, and moisture transition between the inside and outside spaces.
Replacing your windows is one of the fastest and easiest ways to boost your home’s value while also dramatically reducing your electricity bill. Without the incredible heat sink that old windows allow for, your AC unit and HVAC system can focus on heating or cooling the interior space of your home rather than the immediate surroundings outside your windows. This change is a huge win for your electricity net meter and home appraisal value.
2. You need a new roof.
In addition to window replacements, a roof repair or new roof installation is a crucial renovation for an energy-efficient home. Increasing the curb appeal of your property’s value with the installation of new shingles, or even the addition of solar panels can immediately boost your home’s resale value while also shaving down your electricity bill by a significant margin.
Homeowners have to take care to make sure their roof remains in good order, but many forget that the roof is also a crucial system in promoting energy efficiency. Don’t skimp here in order to reduce the cost of your yearly electricity bill by a huge margin.
3. You haven’t changed suppliers yet.
Finally, changing energy suppliers is a must when working to reduce the costs associated with homeownership and your electric bill. You probably can’t do much about the electric company that provides energy to your home.
The wires and pipes that run into the neighborhood are owned and operated by this firm. However, you can direct them to use a particular supplier of your choice for the electricity or gas that they send your way. Reducing your yearly expenses in this realm by hundreds of dollars every year is as simple as a single phone call to the power company. According to law, you can choose the supplier, as well as change as often as feasibly possible. This means you can lock in the best rate on the market every season or year.
Taking advantage of cost-saving measures is your responsibility as a homeowner. Make sure you take advantage of any savings opportunity you can find.
