Tips to Make Your Bathroom More Energy Efficient

One of the rooms in your home that sees the most traffic on a daily basis is the bathroom: that overused and underappreciated space that everyone uses yet few actually take care of. The bathroom also happens to be one of the two rooms in your home that uses the most energy on a day-to-day basis. Aside from the kitchen, the bathroom is the central place in your home where everyone uses water, heat, lighting, and electricity. Let’s face it; if you could break down the details of your utility bills, your bathroom costs you a lot of money each month just to serve its purpose.2016 is the year that you can finally start saving a few bucks on your utilities and get a beautiful new bathroom, all at the same time. Making your outdated bathroom more energy efficient will not only be good for your bank account, but also for the environment, too. Many simple changes, some larger than others, can make a huge impact on your overall energy consumption each month, and offer you valuable savings over the years ahead.Here are just a few to consider:Replace the problems: One of the reasons your bathroom is robbing you blind financially is because many of the features are simply outdated and inefficient. By replacing these features with energy efficient alternatives (just look for the EPA’s WaterSense logo), you’ll be able to decrease your energy consumption and lower your monthly bills. A few features to consider are low-flow toilets, tankless water heaters, draft-free exhaust fans, water-saving showerheads, and energy efficient tap aerators.Fix what’s broken: There may be several features of your bathroom that are still in great condition and don’t really need replacing. If broken or malfunctioning, these items can be slowing increasing your utility bills. Drippy faucets cause excess water to be wasted over a long period of time. Improve the insulation around bathroom windows. This will make your bathroom warmer –nobody likes a freezing bathroom- and eliminate pesky drafts. In many cases, simple repairs can offer big savings without the huge, up-front costs of a total bathroom remodel.Check your lighting: Most people like a bright bathroom. You need adequate lighting to properly complete your daily grooming routine. However, you can actually be spending too much money each month on lighting that is actually brighter than you truly need. Use a light meter to measure the brightness of your bathroom and compare it to general room standards. You may actually be able to decrease the brightness of your lights and lower your electric bill at the same time. Because your bathroom lighting is heavily used throughout the day, consider switching to LED or CFL light bulbs as well. This switch can offer significant savings over a long period of time.Modify your bathroom routines: This last option is the one that can ultimately help save you the most money and will cost you the least to complete. Everyday, we waste a lot of time and money in the bathroom. Simple changes like shorter showers in lieu of long baths (which can use half as much water with each use), turning off the water while brushing your teeth, and remembering to turn the bathroom lights off when you leave the room can all add up to big savings over time. These changes cost you nothing but a moment of your time and a little thoughtfulness.Most brand new bathrooms will look great the minute you walk into them. But not every bathroom remodel offers you long-term savings and peace-of-mind knowing that you’re helping to reduce your carbon footprint along the way. The bathroom remodel experts at Kurtis Kitchen & Bath can help you design the perfect bathroom to fit your style, budget, and environmental concerns.  Just contact one of our five conveniently located showrooms throughout metro-Detroit to discover your options.Remake or remodel your bathroom and/or kitchen today with Kurtis Kitchen & Bath. Find us online at https://www.kurtiskitchen.com/, visit our showrooms in Clarkston, Livonia, Royal Oak, Warren and Woodhaven MI, or call us at 1-888-Kurtis-1.