How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient: Essential Tips and Solutions

Making your home more energy efficient is one of the most effective ways to reduce energy consumption, lower electricity bills and improve comfort throughout the year.

For homeowners in Spain, energy efficiency is particularly important. Long, hot summers can increase air-conditioning use, while colder regions and poorly insulated properties may require significant heating during winter. Older homes can present an additional challenge due to outdated windows, inefficient heating and cooling systems or ageing appliances.

Improving energy efficiency does not necessarily mean renovating your entire property. The best approach is usually to identify where energy is being lost or wasted and prioritise the improvements that can make the biggest difference.

From better insulation and efficient appliances to smart controls and solar self-consumption, there are many ways to make your house more energy efficient while maintaining comfort.

 

What Does It Mean to Be Energy Efficient?

 

Being energy efficient means using less energy to achieve the same result. An energy-efficient home minimises unnecessary energy waste while maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures, adequate lighting, hot water and the everyday services your household needs.

For example, a well-insulated property can maintain a comfortable temperature for longer without requiring heating or air conditioning to operate continuously. Similarly, an efficient appliance can perform the same task while consuming less electricity.

Improving home energy efficiency can therefore help to:

• Reduce household energy consumption
• Lower electricity and heating costs
• Improve indoor comfort
• Reduce unnecessary energy losses
• Reduce the environmental impact associated with energy use

One of the most important principles is simple: before producing or buying energy more efficiently, reduce the amount of energy your home actually needs.

 

Energy-Efficient Home Improvements: Start with the Building

 

The building itself has a major influence on energy consumption. The walls, roof, windows, doors and floors that separate your home’s interior from the outside are known collectively as the building envelope.

A poorly insulated property loses heat more quickly during winter and allows excessive heat to enter during summer. Heating and air-conditioning systems then have to work harder to maintain a comfortable temperature.

Potential energy-efficient home improvements include:

• Improving roof and wall insulation
• Installing energy-efficient windows
• Sealing air leaks around doors and windows
• Improving poorly insulated shutter boxes
• Installing exterior shading such as shutters or awnings

For homeowners, this means it can be worth checking insulation, windows and air leakage before automatically investing in larger heating or cooling equipment.

 

Improve Insulation and Windows

 

Good insulation provides benefits throughout the year. During winter, it helps keep heat inside the property. During summer, it slows the transfer of external heat into the home.

Roof insulation can be particularly relevant in villas and detached houses because roofs receive significant solar exposure. In apartments, windows and external walls may have a greater influence depending on the property’s location within the building.

Replacing single-glazed or poorly performing windows with modern alternatives can also improve thermal comfort and reduce heat transfer. However, replacing windows should not automatically be the first investment. If walls or roofs are poorly insulated, improving those areas may offer a greater benefit.

A professional energy assessment can help identify where the largest energy losses occur before committing to major renovation work.

 

Use Spain’s Climate to Your Advantage

 

Making your home more energy efficient is not only about installing new technology. Traditional passive strategies can significantly reduce heating and cooling requirements, and many are particularly well suited to Spain’s climate.

During summer, external shutters, blinds and awnings can reduce the amount of direct solar radiation reaching windows. Natural ventilation can also help cool the property when outdoor temperatures fall during the evening or early morning.

During winter, the strategy changes. Allowing sunlight into the property during the day can provide useful passive heat, while closing shutters or curtains at night can help reduce heat loss.

The right strategy will depend on where you live. A coastal apartment in southern Spain has very different energy requirements from a detached house in a colder inland or northern region.

Combining passive techniques with modern insulation can reduce the amount of electricity required to keep your home comfortable.

 

Make Heating and Cooling More Efficient

 

Heating and cooling can represent a significant proportion of household energy consumption, making temperature management one of the most important aspects of an energy-efficient home.

The IDAE recommends approximately 21°C for heating when appropriate clothing is worn and around 26°C or higher for cooling when conditions allow. It also estimates that adjusting the temperature by one degree can result in an approximate 7% difference in climatization energy consumption.

Beyond thermostat settings, you can improve efficiency by:

• Using programmable or smart thermostats
• Heating or cooling only occupied areas
• Keeping air-conditioning filters clean
• Maintaining equipment regularly
• Using blinds and awnings to limit unwanted solar heat in summer
• Ventilating when outdoor temperatures are more favourable

If an old system needs replacing, technologies such as modern heat pumps may provide an efficient solution for both heating and cooling. However, equipment should be correctly sized for the property. Buying a more powerful system than necessary does not automatically make a home more efficient.

 

Pay Attention to Domestic Hot Water

 

Hot water is another important source of household energy consumption. In properties with electric water heaters, maintaining large quantities of water at temperature continuously can generate unnecessary consumption, particularly in homes that are not permanently occupied.

A well-insulated hot-water tank reduces heat losses, while appropriate programming can prevent the system from operating when it is not needed. Everyday habits also matter. Taking showers instead of baths and avoiding unnecessary hot-water use can reduce both water and energy consumption.

If an old system needs replacing, homeowners can also consider more efficient technologies, such as heat-pump water heaters, depending on the characteristics of the property.

This is particularly relevant for second homes and holiday properties in Spain, where there is little benefit in maintaining hot water at full temperature during long periods when nobody is staying at the property.

 

Choose Energy-Efficient Appliances

 

Household appliances can account for a substantial amount of electricity consumption, especially when they operate continuously or are used frequently. When replacing refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, dishwashers or other appliances, check the European energy label as well as the purchase price.

For many product categories, the current EU energy label uses a straightforward A-to-G scale, where A identifies the most energy-efficient products within the relevant classification. The previous A+, A++ and A+++ categories have been removed from product groups that have already been rescaled.

However, improving energy efficiency does not mean replacing every appliance immediately. If an appliance still works correctly and is used infrequently, replacing it solely because a newer model is more efficient may not provide a worthwhile financial return. Priority can instead be given to older, high-consumption equipment that operates for long periods.

You can also improve everyday efficiency by using full loads in washing machines and dishwashers, selecting ECO programmes where appropriate and avoiding unnecessary appliance use.

 

LED Lamps and Lighting Energy Efficiency

 

Improving lighting energy efficiency is one of the simplest ways to reduce electricity consumption. LED lamps require significantly less electricity than traditional incandescent or halogen technologies and generally have a much longer lifespan.

According to the IDAE, replacing inefficient lighting technologies with more efficient alternatives can produce energy savings of more than 80% in lighting. In addition to using LED lamps, you can:

• Maximise natural daylight
• Turn lights off in unoccupied rooms
• Use task lighting instead of unnecessarily illuminating an entire room
• Install dimmers where appropriate
• Use motion or presence sensors in areas such as entrances, corridors or garages

The objective is not to use less light than you need, but to provide the necessary illumination using as little electricity as possible.

 

Reduce Standby Electricity Consumption

 

Some electrical devices continue consuming energy even when they appear to be switched off. Televisions, computers, entertainment systems and other connected devices can remain in standby mode throughout the day.

Individually, their consumption may be small, but keeping multiple devices permanently connected can result in unnecessary electricity use over time. Switched power strips and smart plugs can make it easier to disconnect equipment completely when it is not needed.

This is especially useful in holiday homes and second residences that may remain empty for weeks or months.

 

Introduce Smart Controls and Energy Monitoring

 

An energy-efficient home is also a well-managed home. Smart thermostats, connected plugs, automated shutters and energy-monitoring systems can help you understand when and where electricity is being consumed.

Monitoring is particularly valuable because many homeowners do not know which systems are responsible for their highest consumption. If electricity use suddenly increases, consumption data can help identify whether the cause is air conditioning, pool equipment, electric water heating or another appliance.

For international homeowners with second residences in Spain, remote management can be particularly useful. Being able to check consumption, temperatures or connected devices from abroad can help prevent unnecessary energy use.

Technology alone does not make a property efficient. Its real value comes from providing information and control that allow you to make better energy decisions.

 

How Do We Calculate Energy Efficiency?

 

There is no single calculation that describes every aspect of a home’s energy efficiency. In Spain, one of the main tools for evaluating a property’s energy performance is the Energy Performance Certificate, or Certificado de Eficiencia Energética.

The assessment considers characteristics of the building and its energy systems to determine its energy performance. Understanding your property’s current performance can be particularly useful before undertaking major improvements because it can help identify areas where energy is being lost and where renovations may have the greatest impact.

For homeowners considering a significant renovation, an energy assessment can therefore provide a useful starting point for prioritising investments.

 

Consider Solar Self-Consumption After Reducing Demand

 

Solar panels can significantly reduce the amount of electricity purchased from the grid, particularly in a country with Spain’s strong solar resource. However, solar self-consumption should ideally form part of a wider energy-efficiency strategy.

If a property wastes significant amounts of energy through poor insulation or inefficient equipment, installing a larger photovoltaic system simply to cover that unnecessary consumption may not be the most effective approach. Improving efficiency first can reduce electricity demand and allow a solar installation to cover a greater proportion of household consumption.

Solar self-consumption works particularly well when electricity use coincides with solar production. Appliances, pool pumps, air conditioning and electric vehicle charging can often be scheduled during daylight hours to increase the amount of solar electricity consumed directly.

For some households, battery storage can provide additional flexibility by storing surplus electricity for use later in the day.

 

Do Not Overlook Your Electricity Contract

 

Energy efficiency and electricity pricing are different issues, but they should be considered together. A property can be highly efficient and still have an unnecessarily expensive electricity contract.

Homeowners in Spain should periodically review their contracted power, electricity tariff and consumption patterns.

If efficiency improvements reduce the property’s electricity requirements or peak demand, it may be worth reassessing contracted power.

Similarly, adding solar panels, a heat pump or an electric vehicle can substantially change a home’s consumption profile, making it advisable to review whether the existing tariff is still suitable.

Optimising your electricity contract helps ensure that the financial benefits of efficiency improvements are not undermined by conditions that no longer match how you use energy.

 

Energy-Efficient Solutions for Second Homes in Spain

 

Second homes require a slightly different energy strategy. A property can continue consuming electricity even when nobody is there. Refrigerators, electric water heaters, pool pumps, routers, security equipment and devices in standby mode can all contribute to consumption.

Before leaving a second residence empty for an extended period, review which devices genuinely need to remain connected. Remote energy monitoring can be particularly valuable because it allows homeowners to detect unexpected consumption and control certain systems from abroad.

It is also worth reviewing contracted power and the electricity tariff. A contract designed for a permanently occupied family home may not necessarily be the most appropriate solution for a property used only during certain periods of the year.

 

Create an Energy-Efficiency Plan Instead of Doing Everything at Once

 

Making your house more energy efficient does not need to happen in a single renovation. A staged approach is often more practical and allows you to prioritise investments according to their potential impact.

You might begin with lower-cost measures such as improving energy habits, eliminating standby consumption, sealing air leaks and optimising heating and cooling controls.

The next stage could involve insulation, windows or replacing inefficient equipment, followed by larger investments such as heat pumps or solar panels.

The right order depends on the property. A poorly insulated villa may benefit most from improving the building envelope first. A modern apartment with good insulation but inefficient air conditioning may achieve greater savings by upgrading its HVAC system.

The objective is not to install as much technology as possible, but to reduce the amount of energy your home needs and then supply that energy efficiently.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Home Energy Efficiency

 

How can I make my home more energy efficient?

Start by identifying where your home consumes and loses the most energy. Improving insulation, optimising heating and cooling, using efficient appliances and LED lighting, reducing standby consumption and monitoring electricity use can all improve home energy efficiency.

What makes a house energy efficient?

An energy-efficient house minimises unnecessary energy losses and uses efficient systems to provide heating, cooling, hot water, lighting and other household services. Good insulation, appropriate equipment and intelligent energy management are key factors.

What are the best energy-efficient home improvements?

The answer depends on the property. Improving insulation and air sealing can be particularly effective in inefficient buildings, while other homes may benefit more from upgrading heating and cooling systems, improving controls or replacing high-consumption equipment.

Do LED lamps improve energy efficiency?

Yes. LED lighting requires significantly less electricity than traditional incandescent or halogen technologies while providing equivalent illumination and a longer useful life.

Can solar panels make my home more energy efficient?

Solar panels do not directly reduce the amount of energy a home requires. Instead, they allow you to generate part of that electricity locally. Combining solar self-consumption with energy-efficiency improvements can reduce grid consumption and long-term electricity costs.

How can I improve the energy efficiency of a second home in Spain?

Focus on reducing consumption while the property is empty, monitoring electricity remotely, optimising pool and hot-water systems, reviewing contracted power and improving insulation and heating or cooling efficiency.

 

Start Making Your Home More Energy Efficient Today

 

Learning how to make your home more energy efficient starts with understanding how your property uses and loses energy. Insulation, windows, heating and cooling, hot water, appliances and lighting all influence household energy consumption. Improving these areas can reduce energy use while maintaining or even improving comfort.

For homeowners in Spain, combining energy-efficiency improvements with smart energy management, an optimised electricity contract and solar self-consumption can provide additional long-term savings.

There is no universal solution. A permanent family home, a coastal apartment and a holiday villa will each have different energy requirements.

At Evergreen Eléctrica, we help homeowners, expats and second-home owners in Spain understand their energy consumption and identify opportunities to improve efficiency. From reviewing your electricity contract to solar self-consumption, battery storage, EV charging and other energy solutions, our team provides personalised advice tailored to your property.