COASTAL CAROLINA Blog

Energy Improvement Choices for Manufactured Homes

Manufactured homes are built in a factory or a plant and transferred directly to the site of installation. While manufactured homes are popular across the US because they're budget-friendly, they're also popular for their high electricity bills. Even if you're trying to conserve energy, manufactured homes will still take up to 70% more energy than regular homes. What’s even worse is that as time passes and your manufactured home becomes older, the electricity bill doubles. Here are some energy improvement ways for manufactured homes.

Update Your Insulation

Various surveys found that poor insulation is a key factor behind increased electricity usage. Consequently, the bills are higher than expected. Getting blown-in insulation done in the walls and the underbelly of the house may regulate temperature and significantly reduce energy usage in your home. If your manufactured home is already insulated, consider getting insulation removal done for reinstallation.

Upgrade Your Appliances

Everything from the refrigerator, the fans, the washing machine, the food factory, and pretty much every appliance in the kitchen will take up to 25% more electricity if it’s old and rusty. Updating your appliances from time to time might seem costly but they're actually saving some money on the bills. The new technology introduced today is comparatively more energy-efficient than that of 20 years ago. Switch to energy-efficient alternatives of all your appliances. They're a real investment.

Switch to Solar Energy

There is an initial heavy cost of purchasing and installing solar panels but once you’ve made the investment, you can make your own energy without spending a leg or two every month. Some solar panels are light enough to be installed on a manufactured home’s roof. Do your research and narrow down your best options. Solar panels do not necessarily eliminate your entire electricity bill. However, they make a notable difference in the numbers on it.

Are Your Windows Right?

You can spend a great amount of money on insulation and still feel chilled to the core. Inspect the doors and windows of your house to determine whether they're fit for use or not. Just like old kitchen appliances, old and rusty windows will also do you no good. Consider getting new windows that are double or triple glazed to prevent maximum heat loss. A single glazed window isn't sufficient enough to keep rough temperatures out of your home. A manufactured home is already far vulnerable to extreme climate than regular homes.

Final Thoughts

To make your manufactured home energy-efficient, your best bet is to get it insulated. However, insulation will be useless if your doors and windows aren’t up to date. Moreover, we unconsciously lose energy due to using old electric appliances. Update your appliances and get energy efficient ones instead. They're slightly expensive but they’ll save up greatly on the monthly electricity bills. Lastly, purchase and install solar panels. It is a onetime investment, but it’s one that you will never regret. Even if it doesn’t cancel out your energy bills, it will surely reduce some numbers off it.