If you’ve recently started your journey to battle climate change, you may have quickly discovered that your first step comes in the form of energy efficiency. It is because the approach is not only beneficial to the planet but also advantageous for your own financial health.

When you use energy smartly, you can lower the burden on the planet by using fewerresources. At the same time, you can also enjoy the personal benefit of saving some funds in the process. This can also help you keep motivated to adopt more sustainable practices.

At first, following an energy-efficient approach may seem like a stressful task. But as you learn more about it, you may discover that it is an easy path to support the planet we live in. To help you with this process, here are a few popular energy upgrades to make your home more environmentally friendly.

Switch to LED Lighting

LED lighting is one of the first and most effective upgrades for energy efficiency. Besides using a reduced amount of energy than incandescent bulbs, LED bulbs are also one of the most effective upgrades to reduce your energy bill. While LED bulbs can be more expensive to install than their incandescent counterparts, they essentially pay for themselves by significantly lowering your energy bill month after month.

Find Renewable Energy Providers

This upgrade is more significant than changing your light bulbs, but it doesn’t require you to make any physical changes to your home. Instead, it simply calls for you to search for renewable electricity plans in your area. From there, you can see if any energy providers and eco-friendly companies are offering renewable energy to your neighborhood and switch to them seamlessly. This helps you adopt renewable energy without stretching yourself thin.

Install Smart Thermostats

A smart thermostat is a must-have for an energy-efficient home. In addition to helping you control your cooling and heating systems from your phone, this device can also save energy through a variety of functions. For starters, you can set specific routines to adjust your home’s temperature just right, while also establishing smart schedules for your energy-hungry air conditioning. These devices can also help you track your energy usage accurately.

Don’t Overlook Your Insulation

Your energy-efficient upgrades should not be reduced to electric fixtures. Instead, you should also be mindful of how other structures can affect your energy usage and subsequent bills. For instance, your insulation remains one of the top home upgrades to save energy and money. If you haven’t upgraded it in a while, it might be time to invest in this essential change to reduce your energy usage and carbon footprint.

Install Energy-Efficient Windows

Continuing on the line of construction upgrades, browsing through energy-efficient windowscan also make a world of difference. In addition to absorbing heat, these windows can also help you make full use of natural light. The recent popularity of these windows has also made it easier for you to find affordable options for your home, which ensures that you can easily discover suitable providers in your area.

Upgrade Your Appliances

Coming back to electric upgrades, changing your appliances to more energy-efficient models can also help. In fact, it is a major part of strategies to make your home more energy-efficient. While almost all modern appliances such as refrigerators and washers come with the ENERGY STAR rating, you should always double-check to see if the discount-heavy appliance you are about to buy can save some energy during its run.

Turn to Smart Home Solutions

Whether you have a habit of sleeping in full lights or forget to turn them off when leaving home for the day, you may look into smart plug upgrades to save more energy. These plugs can be connected to your home’s Wi-Fi, where you can control them through your phone. Similar to smart thermostats, you can set up schedules for your electric fixtures to be turned off or on during specific times of the day.

Through these upgrades, you can easily transform your home to be more energy-efficient. This enables you to do your part in supporting the planet while building your savings along the way.