The 10 easiest ways to achieve an efficient house without major works

The future will be sustainable or it will not be. This maxim, which may seem exaggerated, is actually a slogan that we should practice daily. The climate emergency is clear and few question that climate change is transforming not only our landscapes or seasons, but also our own routines. The battle to defeat global warming is global, but in a private capacity there are many decisions and small gestures that we can undertake to contribute our little grain of sand, starting at home.

Making the house a more efficient construction contributes to reducing our ecological footprint or, what is the same, to minimizing our environmental impact. Where to start? Contrary to what it may seem, it is not necessary to resort to major reforms to achieve a
efficient house and this decalogue of formulas to achieve it is a good example.

1. Check the facilities

Practicing proper maintenance of facilities and devices is essential to optimize their performance. From a cistern that loses water to a dripping faucet, through a door that closes poorly, any small detail is likely to become a leak in the efficiency of the home. For this reason, it is important to review them regularly and carry out the small repairs that are necessary.

2. Energy saving lamps

They are another of the cheapest resources to improve the efficiency of the home without spending a fortune and that is, low consumption lamps represent between 30% and 80% savings compared to traditional light bulbs (banished from the European Union ago already a decade). Its benefits and characteristics are different depending on whether we are talking about compact fluorescent, LED or low-consumption halogen lamps, but its performance and the rest of the operating details must be included in the packaging of the lamp itself.

3. Smart plugs

New technologies have become the best allies for having an efficient home and smart plugs are proof of this. These devices allow you to control any device connected to them so that we can turn it on or off remotely, even when we are not at home. Combined with a home automation installation, its potential is multiplied, although if you don’t want to go that far, you can get plugs of this type with good features for a price starting at 10 or 15 euros.

4. Mixer taps

Talking about efficiency is not only talking about reducing energy consumption but also about making appropriate use of household resources. In this sense, water -and everything that has to do with it- is another of the aspects in which to influence to achieve an efficient house without major works. For example, install a
mixer tap It helps to better regulate water consumption which, on the other hand, will always be less if you opt for a shower rather than a bath.

5. Partial discharge systems in the cistern

The average consumption of water in Spanish homes was 133 liters per inhabitant per day in 2020. According to INE data, it is the same consumption registered in 2018, a situation that invites us to think about the need to continue working on management resource efficient. Installing a partial flush system in the cistern is another easy way to achieve a more efficient home with little effort.

6. Use flow reducers

In the same way that we save on each toilet flush, it is possible to adjust the cost of water at other times without sacrificing comfort. To achieve this without changing the installation with major works, you can try placing flow reducers in kitchen and bathroom taps or even bet on shower heads with built-in reducers. With any luck, it won’t take you more than a morning to replace them and you’ll notice the change on your next bill.

7. Take care of your windows

Having good windows is synonymous with efficiency. However, the material crisis, the international scenario or the current economic fluctuations have multiplied their price so that, if your plans involve achieving an efficient house without major works or investments, changing them is not an option.

What you can do is make sure that their state is the most appropriate to guarantee that they fulfill their function. From repairing small cracks in the profiles to replacing the weatherstripping, to checking the sealing of the blind box, subjecting them to a thorough examination is a good way to improve efficiency in the home without having to embark on major renovations.

8. Thermal insulation

Insulation is key to minimizing home energy consumption. But if your home is over 30 years old, it is more than likely that its envelope suffers from a certain lack of resources in this regard (beyond the traditional air chambers). However, reinforcing this chapter is not particularly complex and it is possible to do it without major works, either by injecting mineral wool from the outside into these chambers, or by means of rigid panels adhered to plaster sheets on the inside.

9. Place smart thermostats

As with plugs, smart thermostats are devices that use new technologies to improve home efficiency. If, in addition, we add to the equation the fact that they are not especially expensive, you will have some great allies to improve the performance of your air conditioning systems without major works or investments.

In practice, these devices allow you to control the interior temperature with a simple click. From your smartphone or tablet you can control not only when your boiler or air conditioning is turned on or off, but also program them, regulate the temperature or know consumption (in the most advanced models).

10. Optimize the use of your appliances

It may seem obvious, but it is worth remembering that the easiest and cheapest way to achieve a more efficient home is to optimize the use of household appliances and electronic devices. From putting on the washing machine or the dishwasher when they are completely full, to avoiding the standby of devices such as the television or the computer, going through disconnecting the router when going to sleep or doing the same with the mobile charger when it is not in use, There are many small gestures that you can turn into a habit to be more sustainable at home.

Although if your budget goes beyond good intentions or a change in routines, you can always take the opportunity to replace your old devices with more efficient ones,