How Energy Efficient Are Mobile Homes?
Many people assume that mobile homes are not as energy efficient as staying in a traditional home or buying a new house, but this is false! While some models of mobile homes may look slightly less aesthetically pleasing than your average stick-built home, they can be just as energy efficient!
Many manufacturers have designed their mobile homes with various features to save money by smartly integrating renewable energies like solar power and wind turbines. These savings can be found when you do the math on how much electricity each mobile home uses per year!
Fortunately for those looking to reduce their environmental impact through sustainable living, there are many different ways to pick up a mobile home that is at least moderately environmentally friendly. Here we will discuss some tips on how best to choose an eco-friendly mobile home.
Reminder: This article about how energy efficient mobile homes are has been sponsored by PowerSmartUSA, The company who provided us with information to write this article. It does not reflect the opinions of MeriTalk nor any of its writers. Check out our website at www.meritipsusa.com for more helpful sustainability content!
Setting up a solid foundation before building a mobile home can make a big difference in how energy efficient it is.
Reasons people move their mobile homes
One of the main reasons people move their mobile home is because they run out of space. Depending on how much furniture you have, it’s difficult to find a place for all of it in your new mobile home.
If you don’t want to live in a cramped space, look into buying a newer model mobile home. Older models use more energy to keep cool due to poor insulation. Newer models tend to be built with better materials and technology that save money by keeping the house cooler and more efficient to heat and air-condition.
Another reason people moving their mobile homes is because they ran out of money. A lot of times, individuals will sell their house and then struggle to pay off their mortgage while also paying to transport their belongings and buy supplies like plates, bowls, and utensils.
Issues with mobile homes
There are several issues that can affect how energy efficient your home is, depending on what kind of mobile home you own.
The most common issue is windows. Most people do not take good care of their windows when they move onto a new property or upgrade. They will either choose cheap, poorly insulated glass or no window at all!
This does not make the house more energy efficient- it makes it less so! As these windows use up part of your home as an enclosure, they require more insulation to keep in heat or cool down.
Another important factor is the quality of the wallboard used to construct the interior walls and floors of the home. Lower grade materials only hold water better, which may cause rot and mold growth in high humidity areas.
If there are chimneys, they should be properly insulated and screened to prevent excessive heating loss.
Ways to be more energy efficient
One of the biggest things you can do to save money in the long run is by spending time ensuring your home or mobile home is as energy-efficient as possible.
That means looking into the windows, the doors, and the overall insulation of your home or mobile home. You can also make sure that any cooling systems work efficiently and are winterized during colder months.
By being careful about these factors, your home will use less energy to stay warm and cool. It will also use less electricity to function.
There are many ways to be more energy efficient with a mobile home.
Electrical system
Before we talk about how mobile homes are expensive to run, let’s take a look at what goes into making your home energy efficient. One of the biggest factors is your electrical system.
The average size household in America has around eight appliances that use electricity. To be more energy-efficient, you should consider buying products that are energy star rated or have the ENERGY STAR certification.
This means these products work just as well as others, but they use less power. For example, an oven with ENERGY STAR can work half as fast as one that doesn’t have this designation, but it uses only 5% of the energy used by a standard model!
Another way to save money on bills is to learn how to manage your electricity use. This includes changing your habits, using lower wattage devices and finding ways to conserve energy when you already own something. For instance, if you find yourself watching TV frequently, try getting rid of the television and using other media instead.
You may also want to invest in equipment designed to help regulate the temperature for those who enjoy warm spaces such as refrigerators, stoves and heat pumps. These types of cooling systems work by exchanging fluid between two different temperatures, thus creating cooler air.