Making Your Cottage More Energy Efficient

While the cottage is many peoples home away from home, with two properties to maintain, also comes two electricity bills. 

There are several methods to make the most of your cottage energy bill by conserving electricity both inside and outside. While many modern cottages are built with energy efficiency in mind, like many of these homes for sale in Huntsville, not always is this the case.

Remember that conserving energy - even when relaxing - may be simple the next time you go to the cottage. Here are a few simple techniques for conserving energy at the cottage while yet allowing you to relax.

Examine Old Appliances

Cottages may quickly become the go-to location for old refrigerators, freezers, and other items.

Check the seal around your chest freezer to ensure it is tight and securely closed. They're simple to forget about, squandering power and ruining food.

Stay Indoors and Warm

Consider utilising ceiling fans instead of air conditioning to keep cool on hot summer evenings. Fans consume less power and may also be used for illumination. Discover how to adjust your ceiling fan for each season.

Next, bring out your trusted weather stripping and caulking to fill up gaps around windows and doors, allowing you to keep warmer in chilly weather and cooler in hot weather. Weather stripping may not only keep your cottage cozy, but it can also keep annoying mosquitoes and blackflies out.

Spend Time Outside

Because you'll be spending most of your time outside, here are three simple methods to maximise outdoor life while conserving energy:

Dine outside in the fresh air. You may enjoy your cottage dinners while also reducing your energy use. 

Make use of a chiller. Opening and closing the fridge, as well as frequent trips in and out of the cottage for all those cold beverages, may be wasting energy. You may also avoid overfilling your fridge and freezer, allowing more space for cooling air to circulate.

Use the long sunny days at the cottage to do your washing. To conserve even more energy, hang clothing, sheets, and towels to dry on a clothesline or drying rack rather than using a dryer.

Make Time to Disconnect (literally)

If you plan to spend the most of your day outside, take a tour around the cottage and disconnect any equipment that may consume phantom power when you're not there, such as your TV, mobile phone chargers, or microwave. Do the same when you leave the cottage at the end of your stay. Another solution is to buy a power bar with an automatic on/off timer. These power bars are ideal for shutting off electronics while you're gone or when you're out enjoying the sunlight.

Smart Sensors

Outdoor motion sensor lighting may help save waste from left-on lights while also adding security. Consider solar-powered lights if your outdoor lighting is more attractive. They look excellent along the driveway or by the fire pit, allowing you and your family to spend more time outside when the sun goes down.

Examine your hot water heater as well. Water heater smart timers can assist in turning off the electric heating element. Set the timer to turn off your heater throughout the day, when power prices are at their highest and while you're probably at the beach, on the lake, or otherwise enjoying the outdoors.