How Small Changes Lead to Big Energy Savings at Home

Are you happy with your energy bills? Does it seem like they just keep going up no matter what you do? If this sounds like something you can relate to, get in line because there are many, many other people going through the same exact thing.

The good news? There’s a solution. And it’s actually much simpler than you might expect. And no, we aren’t referring to remortgaging your house so that you can finance some major renovations, nor will you need to buy pricey gadgets with the hopes of lowering your bills.

All you have to do are small, everyday changes. And you can do those small changes yourself (even if you aren’t particularly handy).

The result? Your bills WILL go down, plus on top of that, your home will feel much more comfortable.

Let’s go through what needs to be done in order to achieve this.

For most, the biggest perk of having a home that’s energy efficient will be more money left in their bank account because they save on their energy bills. For example, if you seal air leaks or upgrade your thermostat, your annual heating and cooling costs could go down by up to 10%. Now, imagine making just a few small changes and each of them knocks down a part of your bill. Over time, you’ll notice how all this adds up.

Apart from more money, another big benefit is combating climate change. Even if one person's efforts might seem miniscule; if a million people start doing those small steps, the difference would be colossal. So things like switching to LED bulbs, or installing better insulation are that more important.

An added bonus is that there’ll be fewer drafts, and the temperature inside your home will be more consistent throughout the seasons, leaving you with greater comfort and coziness. It’s a win all around.

There’s no need to wait to make the changes. In fact, you shouldn’t wait because your energy bills sure won’t.

Here’s what you can start doing right away.

1. Seal Air Leaks

Drafty windows and doors waste energy, money, plus they make your home far less comfortable. You can use weather stripping and caulking to seal up gas and cracks around your windows, doors, and other openings.

If you can prevent warm or cool air from escaping, your HVAC system won’t need to work as much and your energy bills will lower.

2. Upgrade Your Lighting

If you’re still using old incandescent bulbs, you need to know it’s not 1994 anymore and, in 2025, we upgraded and you should, too.

Switch to LED or CFL bulbs because they’re far more energy efficient. They use a lot less energy and they last way longer. You will use less electricity so you’ll save money on bills, but you’ll also save money because you’ll need to replace your bulbs less often.

So, run, don’t walk, and exchange those bulbs.

3. Install a Programmable Thermostat

If you heat or cool an empty house, that’s a huge waste of money and energy. With a programmable thermostat, you can set schedules so your home is heated or cooled only when you need it to be. This is another way of using less energy, but your home still stays really comfortable.

4. Use Smart Power Strips

Using smart devices might sound like something that’s just for modern houses, or for tech-oriented people. But that simply isn’t true. Just think back a decade or two when appliances such as refrigerators or water heaters would draw massive amounts of energy, and even more so when they got old; which would, in turn, lead to high electricity bills.

With new technology, this isn’t the case anymore (or at least not to the same extent). Smart electronics are the ‘new’ new, and they lower the electricity bill even more thanks to some nifty tricks.

You may not even be aware of this, but a lot of your electronics and appliances keep drawing power when you turn them off. This is called phantom energy waste and it adds up quickly.

Do yourself a favor and get smart power strips that automatically cut power when devices go into standby mode. You’ll save energy without having to remember to unplug everything.

5. Optimize the Use of Appliances

The type of appliances you use plays a big part in how much energy you consume, so you should upgrade to models with an ENERGY STAR certification as soon as possible. They use less power, but you wouldn’t know it based on how well they perform.

Even though it’s often neglected (or forgotten), regular maintenance is massively important. And they aren’t difficult to do. Clean out (or change) the filters in your HVAC system.

They get filled with dust, dirt particles, and can even get funghi on them; none of which is healthy. Buildups also decrease the operating efficiency of those systems. While clean, your appliances will work much more effectively and efficiently, which will result in energy savings.

6. Add Insulation

In areas of the world where you get extremely hot summers, or freezing winters (or both), one of the first things that need to be taken care of is insulation. Just by doing this, you’re making a massive difference in how energy-efficient your home is.

And even if you’re thinking to yourself, “Where I live, I don’t need insulation…”, you do. You wouldn’t believe how much of a difference this will have (especially in long-term energy savings).

Just think of a thermos-insulated bottle. It’ll keep your hot coffee hot and it’ll keep your cold beer cold. And this is possible only because of insulation. With insulation, your house will become a giant insulated bottle. No outside heat or cold will penetrate that easily, while inside the house, comfy room temperature will be maintained.

If you add rigid foam insulation to attics, walls, or basements, you’ll be able to make notable changes in the energy savings department.

7. Use Ceiling Fans

When you think of ceiling fans you might be thinking of the ‘70s, or if you’re a younger reader you might not even know what ceiling fans are.

While they might be out of fashion, they’re not in such a state because they don’t work. Ceiling fans are so underrated, but they can definitely make a dent when it comes to the conservation of energy.

And no, they aren’t only for hot summers. In the summer, you can set them to rotate counterclockwise (the standard rotation) in order to cool the place down.

And in the winter, you can reverse the spinning direction to warm the place. If you have a fireplace, a radiator, have the air conditioning on, or whichever other heat source, the ceiling fan will be perfectly positioned to distribute that warm air evenly throughout the room.

Yes, there are a bunch of changes clustered up in this article. And while on their own they might not seem THAT significant, if you use multiple of these approaches, the effect will be clearly visible.

And, as promised, most (if not all) of these changes you can DIY, plus they won’t cost that much (apart from insulation, depending on the size of your home).

So, don’t think about it too much. You don’t need excuses to not live a better life. Start prepping for things that you have control over. Soon after, you’ll see your energy bills go down, as well as now having  MUCH more comfortable living conditions.

Run off to the store, get the supplies you need, and get to work.