7 Essential Energy-Saving Tips Once You Move into Your Custom Home

When you began your custom home journey, energy savings were a big point of conversation. You asked the right questions. You did the research. And you worked with your custom home builder to find the best materials, design, and appliances to help you save energy. You’ve already done a lot of work here, but there is more you can do to keep those energy costs down when you move in. 

Build good habits. Use technology to its fullest. 

Let’s start there. 

Tips to Make You a Super Energy Saver 

So once you move into your custom home, you know that you’ve done a lot of the groundwork to position yourself to keep energy costs down, but if you have teenagers in the home or a big family, this can still present a challenge. Let’s look at some habit-building techniques to get your family on the same energy-saving page. 

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average customer in an American household consumes about 893 kWh per month. So how can you reduce this and how do you get your family on board?

• First, gather the data. Thanks to technology, there are some fun applications you can download to figure out where most of the energy consumption in your home is coming from. For example, the Sense ( a home energy monitor)  uses machine learning to guess what devices are running the most and where most of your energy usage is being generated. 
• According to Wired magazine, space heating is one of the biggest sources of energy used in a home. So smart thermostats have come into the market as a way to help you adjust your temperatures in an interactive way. Want the heat up for your morning shower, but not while you’re at work? The smart thermostat is the way to go. Not only that, if you have teenagers that forget to turn off the heat on their way out the door, you can easily access it through your smartphone. Smart thermostats learn your habits and use sensors to tell when you’re away. It’s an efficient way to watch the heating and cooling usage of your home. 
• Consider some smart bulbs. Energy-efficient LEDs use smart technology to save you energy. These bad boys can turn off while you’re not at home. These little investments, as well as things like smart plugs, help prevent the ‘oops, I left the light on’ moments that happen to the best of us. 
• Wash with cold water. A big waster of energy is heating the water to wash a big load of laundry. For this, new formulations of laundry detergent have made it more effective to wash laundry in cold water. This way, you can keep everyone’s clothes clean while skipping the big energy usage. 

Additional Energy-Saving Tips for Around the House

Today’s newer homes are built with energy-efficiency in mind. Cullers Custom Homes, for example, goes the extra mile in providing homeowners with the comfort of knowing that design and appliances were considered for their Energy Star rating. At the same time, good design and quality insulation will make a big difference. 

Here are a few things that often slip through the cracks as homeowners move in to their beautiful new home:

Porch light. We know you want to show off the beauty of your custom home to the whole neighborhood. Keeping that porchlight on also illuminates the front door and makes it look more welcoming. This is one of the highest used light fixtures in the home. New technology including CFL technology uses light bulbs that turn on only at night or when a sensor indicates movement.

Use skylights and natural lighting. So at Cullers Homes, we design a home with many aspects in mind. Not only are aesthetics a leading driver of our architecture, we also take into consideration how this will affect the home. By incorporating natural lighting in your home, you are not only adding the beauty of El Paso’s sun abundance but you are making your home more energy-efficient. 

Run the dishwasher when it is full. Today’s dishwasher appliances are degrees more energy efficient than they were even ten years ago. And yet, running a half-full washer more often can be a real strain on your energy and water usage. So make sure the dishwasher is full to make the most of your appliance. 

Tips Before You Build

When building a custom home, you have the advantage of choosing and/or dictating the appliances, design, and natural light implementation that will make the most of your energy savings. By asking your home builder the right questions about what options you have, you are setting a strong foundation and positioning yourself for years of energy savings. You have a choice in things like:

• Appliances
• Design
• Insulation
• Windows
• Building materials

Build with Beauty, Comfort, and the Future in Mind

Want to learn more about energy-efficient custom homes? You don’t have to sacrifice beauty and style for any of this. The right custom home builder knows how to incorporate your design and layout preferences while incorporating state-of-the-art energy-saving approaches. 

And once you move in, you can keep those savings up even more. 

Questions? Call Cullers Homes today.