Whether you are building a home from scratch or remodeling an existing house, there is no better time to go eco-friendly. Not only is going green good for the environment, it is also a good way to save money. By making your home eco-friendly, you will put a major dent in your energy bill. While the upfront costs of installing or building with green eco-friendly technology might be expensive, it will pay for itself in the long run. Some of these green eco-friendly home tips you can do on your own, while others require a professional to do properly.

Smart home devices take care of many basic tasks, including setting the temperature of the house. A programmable or smart thermostat will manage the temperature of the house and prevent excess use. You can set limits for the thermostat to follow, keeping your house at the right temperature without using extra energy. These smart devices can even turn down the heating or cooling when no one is home to take advantage of it. With smart devices in your house, be sure you have an electrical system to back it up. An outdated system will be less efficient and more likely to cause problems. Call an electrician to ensure your system is functioning at its best.

Collecting runoff rain water is a good way to get free water and one of the best eco-friendly home tips experts recommend. Collecting water in rain barrels or some other tank means you have free water to use. Collected water can replace a sprinkler system for yard maintenance or you can wash your car with the water. You can even have these rain barrels as part of your curb appeal by painting them.

Before you pick out materials, appliances, location, or any other number of things when building a new home, first think about size. The larger your home, the larger the environmental impact and the more likely these eco-friendly home tips will help you. This doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice the space you need; you just need to build smart. If you are a foodie and want a large kitchen, then consider using less space somewhere else in the house. Think about the space you realistically need— it will actually save you money if you build on the smaller side. Houses are expensive to heat or cool, and the larger the house the more it will cost.

Speaking of heating and cooling a house, you should also ensure you have proper insulation. The best way to make sure you are not overpaying for heating and cooling is to insulate your house. Insulation means that heat will not escape the house in the winter and the cool air won’t leak out during the summer.

When looking at your home’s efficiency, don’t forget about the doors and windows. Outdated doors and windows generally leak or allow air to seep out of your house. Single pane windows are notorious for letting warm air out of the house and letting the cold winter air in. There are other methods of ensuring your windows and doors are as efficient as possible. As Nationwide explains:

Suntuitive Dynamic Glass, by Intuitive Innovations, automatically adjusts the window tint throughout the day, using only the heat from the sun. As it gets hotter outside, the windows darken to reduce glare and shield building occupants from UV light.