Sometimes the way you perform ordinary activities at home can consume unnecessarily large quantities of power. By making a few simple adjustments to your home and how you live, you can simultaneously save money and live an eco-friendlier lifestyle. If you already were planning on making upgrades to your home, consider opting for methods that save on energy, as the following choices can benefit both your bills and environmental output. Check out these five simple eco-friendly upgrades you can make to your home.

1. Rethink Your Electricity Usage

Not realizing how much electricity you use in your home can be easy to do. By making a conscious effort to conserve power, you can help reduce your power bills and improve your impact on the environment. When upgrading to a new circuit breaker or load center, you can opt for units that consume less power and more efficiently distribute energy across your home.

Be mindful of how you use electricity in your home. Whenever you are not using electronic devices such as computers, televisions and chargers, unplug them to conserve power. Also, turn off the lights and ceiling fans in empty rooms. When leaving the house for extended periods of time, turn off the air conditioner as well. Upon making these simple changes, you may be surprised by how much energy you save.

2. Switch to Solar Panels

Solar power is an effective and environmentally friendly way of generating energy. Consider adding solar panels to your home as an alternative energy source. The panels will absorb the sunlight and distribute electricity throughout your home, making use of a clean and renewable energy source.

The price of solar panel installation varies and may seem like a steep investment at first, but the cost will soon end up saving you money in the long run. The environmental boost your house will receive makes the change worthwhile as well, as you can live in confidence knowing that you are making a difference.

3. Change to Low Flow

Did you know that your toilet consumes the most water out of everything inside your house? Toilets account for 30 percent of water usage in the average home. When you add your sinks and showers to the mix, your home consumes huge quantities of water every day just by performing normal tasks.

To help cut down on how much water you use, consider changing your faucets and toilets to low flow, which will reduce water consumption. The change might take some time to adjust to, but conserving water could ultimately be what your home needs to make a difference in both funds and energy usage.

4. Use Lower Voltage Light Bulbs

To save energy, replace all of the lightbulbs in your house with lower voltage bulbs. These kinds of bulbs, although dimmer than typical bulbs, have a longer life expectancy. Since they last longer and consume less energy, you will not have to replace them as often, meaning you will save money as well. Coupling low wattage bulbs with turning off your rooms' lights when not in use will make for a more eco-friendly home.

5. Insulate and Seal Windows and Doors

If you live in a cold area, insulating your windows and doors will keep your home warmer and prevent the heat from seeping out of the house. If you have an attic, make sure it is properly insulated as well, as this is where a majority of heat could be let out.

Check all the windows and doors around the house and make sure any cracks are sealed with caulk. With proper sealing and insulation in your home, you will not have to stress out your HVAC unit as much, thus saving energy.

While some of these upgrades may take time to adjust to, you may find they are just what your home needs. These five simple changes can ultimately benefit your home both financially and environmentally.