6 Ways to Transform Your Home into a Powerhouse

Do you ever pause to think about your family’s energy use? Almost everything we enjoy at home (other than snuggles) requires energy.

Video games ✔

Ice cream ✔

Warmth on a chilly night ✔

It’s all energy. Burning fewer fossil fuels to power our homes is the single most important thing we can do to fight climate change, so the daily choices we make in our homes are important. And the best part is there’s no wrong place to start.

Some people believe reducing their environmental footprint means making tough compromises, but that’s not always the case. Sustainability is about finding ways to do more with less. Ever heard the phrase, “every vote counts”? Here at ecobee, we believe every action counts: there are small things we can do every day to make a big difference.

Here’s how you can work towards minimizing your family’s energy consumption while maximizing your impact—and saving money, too.

1. Give your home the seal of eco-approval.

Air leaking in and out of your house forces your heating and cooling system to burn more fuel than is necessary to keep you comfortable—which also costs you extra money on your utility bill. When this happens, energy that likely comes from fossil fuels is wasted and creates pollution in the atmosphere.

2. Save money (and maybe even the planet) with an energy audit

Bringing in an expert to conduct a home energy audit is a great way to determine problem areas and make a plan of action. An audit helps illustrate how your home uses (and loses) energy today and can help prioritize upgrades for overall efficiency. Thinking of selling your home within the next few years? Efficiency improvements will be beneficial from a financial standpoint. Contact your local utility service provider to get started; many offer rebates for energy audits.

3. Do the bright thing—switch to energy-efficient LED light bulbs.

Improving energy efficiency at home saves you money, but it also carries the added benefit of accelerating the shift to renewable energy. When we use less, we’re demanding less from today’s power sources, so it’s an impactful way to help cities, states and provinces shift their energy supply mix off fossil fuels to greener options. Replacing your lights with energy-efficient bulbs (LEDs) is a great first step—what are you waiting for?

4. Use an ecobee Smart Thermostat.

Did you know that half of your personal carbon footprint comes from the energy used to heat and cool your home? A Wi-Fi thermostat optimizes temperature without compromising on your comfort by understanding household occupancy and how your heating and cooling system works.

ecobee Smart Thermostats understand your family’s habits, behaviors and personal comfort preferences to maintain a desired temperature when you’re home. They can also minimize how long your heating or cooling equipment runs when you’re out. And the best part is you don’t have to remember to program it before leaving the house—it knows when you’re away, and you can access the thermostat anywhere, anytime from your smart phone.

5. Power up with renewable energy.

As the global population continues to increase, the energy required by our cities and communities will increase too. And in the fight against climate change, we have to get off fossil fuels—fast. That’s why as the world’s energy demand grows, shifting to renewable energy and reducing fossil fuels is increasingly important to combat climate change.

Renewable energy demand has doubled in the past 10 years: we can do a lot to further this change. Choosing renewable energy at home grows demand for green energy and helps build the clean economy.

Check your utility provider’s website to see if they offer green energy. If it looks like they don’t, contact them to find out what they recommend and let them know green energy is something that’s important to you!

6. Keep the conversation going.

When it comes to changing perceptions about energy consumption, word of mouth matters. The truth is, if one person finds a solution and talks about it, others are more likely to find their own ways to do the same. Being part of something together makes a big difference. You might not have all the answers, and that’s okay—the important thing is you’re thinking about ways to spark positive change together.