SOUTH KANSAS CITY Blog

Great Ways to Start Saving on Your Energy Bills in Kansas City

There are a number of household habits that contribute to energy waste and higher monthly costs. However, many homeowners tend to take simple adjustments and updates for granted, instead, looking for complex upgrades and renovations that don't have an effective return on investment. Here are a few ways you and your household can improve your energy efficiency with cost-effective practices and upgrades.

Energy Saving Ideas to Lower Your Bills

Switch Out Appliances

The larger appliances in your home, like your refrigerator or dishwasher, take up a significant amount of energy and can run up costs if they're used too often. However, a reduced operation isn't always an option, especially if you live in a larger household. One alternative is to make sure you're running these machines at full capacity: don't run a half-full washer or dishwasher, dry clothes on a lower heat setting, and make fewer trips back and forth to the refrigerator when cooking. While this can seem like a simple solution that's effective for some households, there are other options.

Update Old Insulation

The insulation installed throughout your home helps to improve the climate control capabilities and temperature regulation of the building. The material reduces the rate of heat transfer, which is how heat moves through your building. If insulation is old, damaged, or improperly installed, you’ll experience more heat loss in the winter and heat gain during the summer. In an effort to keep up with the temperature on the thermostat and keep your home comfortable, your HVAC system needs to run more often. This can drastically increase monthly costs and energy waste as heat moves freely through the walls and floors.

Retrofitting insulation is the process of evaluating your current insulation and removing the old and deteriorated materials so they can be replaced with something new and more suitable to your home’s needs. While there are some materials that can potentially last up to 15 years, damages from moisture, pests, and other disturbances can increase the rate of deterioration exponentially. When the insulation deteriorates, it’s less effective at reducing heat transfer and preventing irregular temperatures. As such, you’re losing out on a key line of defense in maintaining a comfortable environment.

Improve The Air Sealing

Insulation and air sealing are typically two sides of the same coin, working hand-in-hand to improve your home's climate control and regulate the temperature. With updated and new air sealing throughout the house, you can reduce regular energy costs. Small and even seemingly insignificant cracks or holes throughout the building envelope allow for air leaks and uncontrolled airflow. One of the worst problems this can cause is a significant increase in your energy bills: if the airflow isn't controlled in a structure with the help of air sealing, heat and outdoor air move unrestricted through these openings. The conditioned air or heat from your HVAC unit is lost through openings and cracks, replaced by air from outside. It's almost as if you've left a window or door open while the A/C is still turned on.

Change Your Lighting

Even making minor adjustments in your habits and throughout the house can have a significant impact on your energy usage and costs. Incandescent light bulbs are not only outdated, but they're also costing you more than you may realize - this is a big reason why they're being phased out of recommended use! They produce less light, last a short amount of time, and are considerably less efficient when compared to modern alternatives. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) and LED bulbs use less energy while also producing less heat and more light. LED bulbs specifically use an average of 75% less energy than incandescent lighting.

On top of removing and replacing energy-wasting lights with energy-saving alternatives, you can also make minor adjustments in household habits that can add up to more savings. While it may not seem like it has a significant effect at first, even simply turning off the lights every time you leave the room can add up to reduced costs over the months. You should also be sure that lamps and standing lights are positioned in places that maximize their efficiency. A standing lamp near the couch or your bed can be more effective than a ceiling light and it also uses less energy! Finally, opening up the blinds or curtains to improve the lighting can reduce your need to flip the light switch in the first place!

Call the Experts at Koala Insulation for Your Insulation Services

Look no further than the team of experts at Koala Insulation of South Kansas City! Our local insulation pros will guarantee to make your home more energy efficient and comfortable for many years to come!

Our friendly customer service representatives can be reached at 816-929-8255 to schedule a consultation or find out more about our dependable insulation installation and removal services!