Heat Your Home Without Warming The Planet

Home buyers have an increased interest in purchasing eco-friendly East Bay homes. As a home seller in the California real estate market, it is beneficial to update the heating system in your home to an eco-friendly energy saving system. We all know our energy usage majorly increases during the winter months, and with the price of oil rising, now is the best time to make a change at home. Here are a few suggestions and resources to help make your heating solutions more eco-friendly.

UPGRADE YOUR THERMOSTAT

Upgrading to a smart thermostat helps lower energy usage and costs by automatically lowering your heater at night or when you’re away from your house. Say you wake up for work at 6 am, set your heater to turn on at 5:30 am instead of leaving your heater on auto temp all night. The Google Nest, Amazon Smart Thermostat, and Honeywell Home Smart Thermostat, are a couple of common brands to consider when upgrading.

IMPROVE THERMAL EFFICIENCY

Check and repair faulty seals around doors and windows, inspect ductwork for leaks, and improve insulation in your attic and walls. Choice of decor can also help improve your home's thermal efficiency. Thermal curtains and area rugs keep the heat in your home and are a great option for a home with minimal to no carpet. Adjusting your water heater also plays a role in making your home more thermally efficient. Turning down the temperature in your water heater to 120°F and insulating your hot water lines will prevent the water from cooling as quickly between water usage.

UPGRADE YOUR HEATING SYSTEM

Geothermal heating systems, solar heating, and pellet stoves are eco-friendly heating solutions. A geothermal heating system exchanges heat with the ground to provide heated or cooled air into your home. Although the installation of a geothermal heating system is pricey, you save upwards of 20% on your monthly utility bill (Understanding Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems, 2019). Many of us are familiar with the use of solar panels, but solar energy can be used for more than just providing electricity to your appliances. Solar heating systems heat and cool your home, while solar water heating systems replace your gas or electric water heater. If you have a pool or hot tub, there are solar options available to heat those amenities as well.

Homeowners can save about 30% of their energy bills while reducing environmental emissions by making small adjustments at home.
    -U.S. Department of Energy

All Zip Code East Bay agents hold the NAR’s Green Designation. We love being your local green resource. Questions? Email us! hello@zipcodeeastbay.com