3 Ways to Make Your Nashville Area Home More Energy Efficient | Interior Wooden Shutters

We live in an eco-conscious world. Most people are looking for a more energy efficient Nashville area home. When it comes to your home, the options for reducing energy output (and therefore reducing monthly utility bills and saving some money!) are numerous, and most of them are simpler than you might think. Here, find three of our favorite ways to make your Nashville home more energy efficient.

  1. Add interior wooden shutters to your windows

Much of a home’s energy comes in and out through its windows. In fact, about 30% of a house’s heating energy is lost through its windows, and in the warmer months when air conditioners often run, about 76% of sunlight that falls on standard double-pane windows enters a house to become heat. In short, windows can be your worst enemy when it comes to heating and cooling your home. However, with the right shutters, your windows can become an ally in efficiently utilizing an HVAC unit and cutting your energy use. Interior plantation shutters can help you accomplish this in two main ways:

  • Shutters allow you to regulate the light shining through your windows – Our interior wooden plantation shutters, made from the finest wood materials available, are constructed with louvers, allowing you to tilt the shutters to control the amount of light entering through your windows. When closed, they completely shut out sunlight, blocking the sun’s radiant heat rather than allowing it to be absorbed into your home. If you still want a bit of light to enter your house without the glare of the sun’s direct rays, you can tilt the louvers to regulate the angle and amount of light that gets in. By allowing the sun’s rays to heat your home in the cold of winter and blocking that heat at the height of summer, you will reduce the amount of energy needed to regulate the temperature off your house.
  • Shutters provide window insulation – Our high-end shutters prevent interior heat from escaping through windows and decrease the amount of exterior heat coming in, thereby retaining your home’s temperature and reducing the load on your heater and air conditioner.
  1. Upgrade your home’s insulation

While interior plantation shutters can improve your windows’ insulation, a great deal of heat also enters and escapes your house through walls, attics and around doors. Effective insulation will reduce the amount of heat that enters a house in warmer months and flows out of the house in cooler months, thereby lowering the amount of energy needed to cool or heat your home. While there are multiple materials that can be used to upgrade this facet of your home, the most important component is finding a knowledgeable professional who will install insulation correctly and effectively.

  1. Make small changes

Becoming more energy efficient doesn’t require a complete overhaul of every part of your home – while that may be nice, it’s unrealistic for most people. Instead, focus on the cumulative effect of multiple tiny lifestyle changes. Some ideas include:

  • Install low-flow showerheads and opt for showers (which use an average of 25 gallons of water) over baths (which use an average of up to 50 gallons of water).
  • Turn down your thermostat when you’re out of the house for the day.
  • Turn off unnecessary water – make sure the faucet is turned off while you’re brushing your teeth or shaving.
  • Start a compost pile and get a recycling can – these are both effective ways to reduce the amount of waste you send to landfills.
  • Banish energy vampires – unplug unused chargers and other small appliances that aren’t used on a daily basis.
  • Replace incandescent light bulbs with LEDs (available in warm colors so you can still achieve a homey glow).

Creating a more energy efficient Nashville area home makes sense for the planet and for your wallet. Interior plantation shutters, upgraded insulation, and minor habit changes are all a great place to start. Even better, the more you save, the more motivated you’ll be to find other ways to make your house more energy efficient. Let us help you jumpstart the process – get in touch today to find out more about installing our locally manufactured custom wood interior shutters in your home!