Thanks to rising energy prices, we're all seeking ways to reduce our carbon footprints and cut our utility bills. According to a survey by HVAC manufacturer AUX, nearly 60% of Americans say sustainability is a key consideration when researching home upgrades, while 51% said their primary reason for this was to save money on energy bills.

Property experts have found that improving your home's efficiency will not only save you money, but could boost its value and make it more desirable to buyers. But where should you start and are all eco-friendly improvements worth the investment?

Click or scroll on as we share 17 ways you can make your home greener...

No matter where you live, it's likely you've noticed a steady rise in your energy bills, due to inflation and a global energy crisis. Coupled with an increase in working from home, utility bills have gone up significantly in recent years.

Luckily, though, there are plenty of steps you can take to lower your energy usage, which will both save you money and help save the planet. Let's explore a few...

Whether you warm your home with a furnace, a boiler, heat pump or radiant heating, you'll want to ensure your system is efficient and cost-effective to run. After all, heating your home uses more energy and costs more money than any other system in your home, making up about 29% of your utility bill.

While older fossil fuel furnaces are between 56% and 70% efficient, modern conventional heating systems can achieve efficiencies as high as 98.5%, converting nearly all the fuel to useful heat.

According to the Department of Energy, homeowners can save an average of 15% on heating costs, by replacing an old furnace with a newer, high-efficiency model. A new one could cost as little as $2,819, according to Angi.

Smart thermostats are nifty devices that allow you to control your home’s heating from your smartphone, with many models offering multi-room control, hot water control, geofencing (to track when you leave and enter your home), draft detection and vacation mode.

Smart thermostats typically cost between $200 to $500, depending on the model, with an average installation cost of $350. However, if you use it effectively, in line with your schedule, then you could save $180 per year in utility bills, so it'll soon pay for itself.

LED bulbs have quickly grown in popularity in recent years, and it's no wonder. They use at least 75% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than regular incandescent lighting.

The average residential LED bulb consumes just 8.5 watts of energy, compared with 56.1 watts for the average residential incandescent bulb and 15.2 watts for the average compact fluorescent bulb. LEDs offer the same amount of lighting, but require far less power to do so. So, replacing your bulbs is a quick, affordable and simple way of improving your home's energy efficiency and reducing your utility bills.

A smart lighting scheme can enable you to control your lights via a smartphone app or digital home assistant, like Alexa or Google. It’s thought that smart LEDs use less electricity and waste less energy than standard bulbs. On average, a smart bulb lasts between 15,000 and 50,000 hours, while a standard incandescent bulb's lifespan is 750 to 2,000 hours.

However, while a smart lighting scheme can allow you far greater control, installing one isn't cheap. Angi states that, depending on the brand and spec, a system can cost as much as $3,000. On average, you can expect to spend $15 on a single bulb. Plus, you'll need a hub for central control and possibly dimmer switches, meaning smart lighting for your whole house can add up.

As appliances age, their overall efficiency drops, usually due to deteriorating parts. The less energy an appliance uses, the less it costs to run, which makes newer, more energy-efficient models perfect for reducing your energy consumption and bills. In fact, according to Electrictyrates.com, if you swap an old refrigerator for an Energy Star-certified one, you'll use 15% less energy and reduce your bills by up to $75 each year.

Of course, you need to take into account the initial investment and size of the appliance, as a larger unit with the same rating may use more energy to run. However, more often than not you'll find that the yearly savings in electricity will balance the cost of the new appliance in just a few years.

Gas is an extremely expensive commodity and burning natural gases to produce energy creates greenhouse emissions that damage the environment. So, it's no wonder more people are switching to electric or induction cooktops, which are easier to control and work well at lower temperatures.

Induction cooktops also have lower energy consumption, making them cheaper to run. This is because all the power goes into the pan and none is wasted in the air. In fact, according to Cookery Space, 85% to 90% of the energy goes directly into cooking when using an induction cooktop, compared to 65%-70% when using gas. Even better, the cost of purchasing the two is very similar.

Now let's explore the greener home improvements you can make that will save you money and may even add value to your home.

Worth noting is that it's important to factor in the purchasing, installation and maintenance costs, and work out how much you can save in the long run, to determine whether the overall gain is worth the initial investment.

Solar panels allow you to power your home using free, renewable energy, meaning you can save on your bills while reducing your carbon footprint. Upfront, however, they are a significant investment. 

The cost of solar panels depends on the type and size of the system you choose, but Forbes estimates the cost ranges anywhere from $8,500 to $30,500, with the average 6kW solar system falling around $12,700. However, some states offer solar power incentives that can reduce the cost of your solar panels by $2,500 or more, so it's worth doing your research.

Note that it could take you anywhere from 6.4 to 9.5 years to break even on the cost of your solar energy system. But, according to Zillow, a solar installation can increase a home's resale value by about 4%.

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The more insulated your home, the more energy efficient it will be – and the less you'll need to spend keeping it warm. 25% of all heat lost from a home escapes through the roof, so ensuring your attic is well insulated will make a big difference. 

The cost of attic insulation varies based on the material you choose and the type of roof you have. Forbes suggests attic insulation can cost between $1 and $7 per square foot, or roughly $1,500 per project. 

Despite the initial outlay, Energy Star estimates that homeowners can save an average of 15% on heating and cooling costs. What's more, according to a study, homeowners can recoup an average of 117% of the cost of attic insulation in added value, when they sell their home.

Another great way of boosting the energy rating of your home is by replacing your old windows with double-pane designs. Insulated windows contain an internal air pocket, which makes them far more efficient. They don't come cheap, though. Forbes estimates the average cost for a new double-pane window is $800, while labor costs between $200 to $400 per window.

However, according to This Old House, Energy Star-certified windows can save homeowners $101 to $583 annually in energy costs, when replacing single-pane windows. Plus, insulated vinyl window replacements with Low-E glass have an average return on investment (ROI) of close to 70%, or approximately $13,300.

Of course, upgrading your windows, boosting your home's insulation and investing in solar panels will all help you be more environmentally friendly.

However, there are some extra home improvements you can make that won't necessarily help you save any money, or add value to your home, but will simply make your home greener, reduce your carbon footprint and encourage you to build more sustainable habits. Plus, they're all relatively easy and cheap to do. Let's take a look...

It goes without saying that decorating your home with non-toxic paint won't add to its value, or save you any money. However, it will certainly benefit the planet. Many standard paints contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which include a variety of chemicals, "some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects," the United States Environmental Protection Agency suggests.

Eco (or non-toxic) paints, on the other hand, contain organic materials like lay or milk proteins, making them better for people and the planet. Generally, eco paints are made in a more environmentally friendly way and the manufacturing process produces fewer fumes that pollute the air. While eco paints tend to be a little more expensive than regular paints, they are considered better quality and more durable. 

A rainwater harvesting system, in the form of a simple rain barrel, will allow you to collect rainwater and reuse it to water your backyard or clean your car. Some more advanced systems can be plumbed in, so water can be used for your washing machine or even your shower.

As well as being fantastic for the environment, adding one to your backyard will allow you to cut your water bills. In fact, you could save between 40% and 50% on your water bills, if you opt for a professional rainwater collection unit. 

Of course, you'll need to consider the initial outlay, which, according to Angi, could cost anywhere between $120 for a simple barrel and an eye-watering $21,000 for a high-end underground cistern. 

Speaking of saving water and cutting bills, there are plenty of other measures you can take. For starters, an eco shower head will provide you with a high-pressure experience, without using more water, so you can turn the dial down and save water.

In fact, the average family could save 2,700 gallons per year by installing a WaterSense-labeled showerhead. On a national scale, if every home in the United States installed one, the country could save more than $2.9 billion in water utility bills and more than 260 billion gallons of water annually. Affordable too, you can pick one up for less than $40, depending on the model.

Featured shower available from ThermaSol.

Unlike regular driveways, permeable ones have voids that allow rainwater to drain through them. This water is soaked up by your lawn, trees and plants. Often formed from eco-friendly materials, like recycled plastic, they can also improve local water quality, aid with flooding risk, and, of course, reduce the cost of watering your backyard.

There are different types of permeable driveways, so the cost differs depending on what you buy. However, Angi suggests a concrete one will cost between $6 and $15 per square foot, while permeable pavers cost from $10 to $70. Despite costing more than a standard driveway, properly installed permeable pavers and pervious concrete can last 20 to 40 years.

Composting isn't going to suddenly make your home more desirable and it will only save you a minimal sum of money, but the environmental benefits make it worth considering. By recycling your food scraps and gardening waste, you'll reduce the amount of trash going to landfill and save money on plant food and water.

It's "one of the most powerful actions we can take to reduce our trash, address climate change and build healthy soil," says the United States Environmental Protection Agency. It's cheap, too. All you need is a low-cost storage container, or you could even build your own using offcuts of timber.

Green walls or vertical gardens are not just visually pleasing, they have hidden benefits. For one, they can provide temperature control and heat reduction, since plants are better at absorbing sunlight than reflecting it.

Studies have shown that exterior green walls can reduce surface temperatures by as much as 50°F and, in winter, they provide extra insulation, helping you keep your home toasty and reducing the need for heating.

Of course, plants also purify air, turning gases like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into oxygen, which significantly reduces the amounts of CO2 in the air, improving the air quality and the general wellbeing of people in the area. Green Oasis suggest a professionally installed living wall could set you back between $110 to $175 per square foot. But you could DIY it for a lot less.

Native landscaping is a fantastic way of making your home more environmentally friendly. The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) suggests native plants are naturally hardy and healthy. This is because the plants will be located in the perfect place, where the soil, water supply and climate are just right.

Native plants also create natural habitats for wildlife and improve biodiversity. Most importantly, they require much less watering and fertilizer to thrive. “Native plants can help decrease pollution because they eliminate the need for mowers and other equipment,” explains the ASLA. Native plants have the ability to pull and store excess carbon, too, while drought-tolerant plants are perfect for dry regions.

When decorating your home, you can make environmentally friendly choices, too. By investing in durable and sustainable materials or products, you will not only help reduce waste, but lower your carbon footprint. For example, cork is a fantastic alternative for walls and floors as it's sustainable – it can be harvested without damaging the tree itself, as it simply replenishes its bark. Cork is also highly durable, a natural insulator and anti-microbial, meaning it deters mold. 

You can also insulate your home with eco materials, like wool or straw, and select durable furnishings that are designed to last. Of course, buying second-hand or opting for furniture made from reclaimed or recycled materials is another eco option. Just remember to do your research before buying.

With plenty of options, it's easy to pick and choose the sustainable home improvements that work for you, your home and your budget. As a reminder, it's always worth calculating whether the reward is worth the initial investment.

Research from HomeLight has found that homebuyers are increasingly prioritizing energy efficiency in their home search and a survey by Zillow concluded that homes with descriptions mentioning green features could sell up to a week faster, and for up to 1.4% more, than comparable homes without. Make of that what you will...

Featured interior design project by Domkapa.

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