Boosting Your Homestead's Energy Efficiency

As a homesteader, chances are that you want your homestead’s energy efficiency as efficient as possible so that you can save money. Saving money is always a plus when homesteading, as money is so important.

There are many ways to be more efficient on your homestead. From energy efficient appliances to simple projects that boost your homes energy efficiency, there are countless ways to prepare your homestead. Are you ready to boost your homestead’s energy efficiency? If that is the case, here are some ideas for you to consider.

Boosting Your Homestead’s Energy Efficiency

Invest in Insulation

The number one thing that you should do to increase the efficiency of your home and make it more comfortable to live in is to invest in insulation. By having insulation added to your preexisting walls, you can ensure that your home stays warm in the winter and cool in the summer, which means that you won’t have to spend nearly as much on maintaining a comfortable environment.

There are many companies that offer their services to add insulation to your home or you can do it yourself. The expense will pay off in the long run.

Insulation isn’t just for within the walls. You can buy weatherstripping for windows and doors to stop any drafts. You can also install window insulation kits. These kits are simple plastic sheeting that gets “taped” to the frame of a window. By using a hairdryer on low heat the plastic shrinks and seals out the cold air. 3-M makes a simple to install window kit that you can order here.

Try a Tankless Water Heater

Tankless water heaters are an excellent choice for homesteaders who want their properties to be as efficient as possible. If you take a look at these tankless water heater reviews, you will see that they’re affordable, compact, energy efficient, and best of all, they enable you to always have instant access to warm water.

Tankless hot water heaters are excellent because they heat the water as the water travels through the coils. This means you don’t run out of hot water. They usually mount on a wall outside your home and although they can be pricey, depending on the model, they are well worth the investment.

Takagi makes a tankless hot water heater for those of us with propane homesteads. It is rated high and receives excellent reviews. You can read about and purchase a Takagi Propane hot water heater here.

Install Solar Panels

If you live in a sunny part of the country, installing solar panels on your roof and around your home is a very sensible way of generating your power needs off the grid. If you generate enough, you could even sell the excess back to the power companies to make money!

Solar panels are an investment and a costly one depending on how many panels and batteries you need for your homestead. Research what you need so you make the right choices. Installing a solar panel system is not something you want to learn by trial and error.

Burn Wood

Every homesteader should have their own wood burning stove. Why? Because not only can you collect logs and scrap wood that’s suitable for burning for free, but it’s also very efficient and could save you hundreds of dollars annually. There’s nothing like gathering around a roaring log fire on those cold evenings either.

Wood burning stoves aren’t just for heating either. Many wood burning stoves provide a cooking surface also. Just make sure to read about the type of stoves available and always have it installed by someone qualified to avoid injury or fire in the future.

Buy Energy Star-rated Appliances

No matter how far off the grid you are, chances are that you’re still going to need a range of appliances, such as fridges and stoves, to ensure that you can live well. If that’s the case, then buying Energy Star-rated appliances is a good idea as they typically use much less energy than the alternatives. Samsung makes an excellent energy efficient fridge, and I say this from experience. Shop around and pay attention to the energy ratings on the tags.

If you use propane due to being off-grid, you may want to consider a propane refrigerator. These are a bit more pricey, but use propane instead of electricity, and that means no electricity is used at all. You can check out this propane fridge from Amazon which comes in a 19 cubic foot model that works totally on propane here.

Install a Low Flush Water System

If water is at a premium, install a low flush water system, and you won’t use nearly as much water while still being able to flush your toilet and keep your home clean and fresh at all times.

You might also want to install a rain barrel in the garden to capture rainwater which can then be used for watering both your lawn and your gardens. There are many rain barrels on the market and even more DIY rain barrel projects available on the internet.

Change Your Fan’s Direction

If your home has a ceiling fan, it might be worth checking to see if you can reverse its direction in the spring and summer months. If you do this, it creates a wind chill factor that keeps your home much cooler. Therefore, no need for air conditioning. This could save you as much as 15 percent on your energy bills.

If you’re just getting started with the homesteading lifestyle, these changes will really help you get to grips with your energy usage. Then, when you’re ready, you can start taking more extreme measures to really get off-grid and more efficient. You can see other ways to conserve electricity in your home here.