As the weather warms up across the commonwealth, we’re sharing some pro tips for making homes more energy efficient. Share these ideas with your clients today!

Optimize Your Thermostat

Consider suggesting that your clients invest in smart thermostats. There are a variety of brands out there that allow controlling the temperature from a smartphone for those always on the go. These thermostats allow your clients to update their settings to keep the temperature a little higher when they’re not home, saving cost AND energy use. Forgot to turn the air conditioning down after leaving the house? No problem—just open the app. Even if a smart thermostat is not in the budget right now, remind your clients to update their non-digital thermostat settings to ensure the HVAC units are not constantly running when they don’t need to be.

Outdoor Energy Efficiency

You can even cut down on cost and energy outside the home, too. Look into energy-saving lighting options such as solar landscape lighting or lighting that allows you to set a timer to turn off.

Regarding water efficiency, you can group plants in your yard according to their water needs—for example, putting drought-tolerant plants together in one section and plants that require more water in another. (This method is often called “hydrozoning”.) This will allow you to water more efficiently and avoid wasting water on plants that don’t need much.

Appliances for Summer

If you don’t already have ceiling fans (or even other types of fans) in your home, now is a great time to use them! Using fans can help supplement the air conditioning for those really hot days. If you’re looking to replace any current kitchen appliances with ones higher rated for energy efficiency, the refrigerator can be a good place to start since it is always running. In addition, consider sometimes cooking with a crock pot or air fryer (instead of an oven or stove) to help reduce the heat.

Seal the Leaks

One area many people often overlook is the irrigation system. Now that it’s time to get the lawn back in check, it’s important to remember that this system has been off all winter. Check your home’s crawl space for any new leaks, and any pipes or sprinkler heads that connect to the irrigation should also be inspected before use. If a leak in the irrigation goes unnoticed, the water bill can be severely impacted. Additionally, as the weather warms up it’s always important to check for any leaks in doors or windows that might allow your air conditioning to escape.

Small upgrades now can mean big savings—for you and your clients—as the temperatures continue to rise!