Save energy in your mobile home by following these simple tips
Mobile Home Roof & Ceiling
Starting from the top down there are many changes you can make to your mobile home to save energy and cut the cost of fuel and electricity bills.
Some changes are easy and inexpensive, some may take a little work, but the costs savings and benefit of increased mobile home energy efficiency are worth it!
Here are our top 10 tips for making your manufactured or mobile home more energy efficient.
1. Save energy by changing your Mobile Home Roof Covering
Did you know that a cool roof coating can lower mobile home temperature, reflect up to 85% of the sunlight, reduce smog and save your electric bill by cutting down unecessary AC Costs?
Installing a White Roof or Cool Roof Coating on your mobile home reflects the heat from the sun back out helping to cool your home.
Read more about Cool Roof Coatings – we also found a cool infographic to illustrate white roofs at a glance from the White Roof Project
2. Add Mobile Home Roof Insulation
It takes a little more work, but you can save up to 15% of heating and insulation costs simply by insulating your mobile home or manufactured home roof cavity. Installing a sloped roof allows extra room for insulation in the ceiling of your home.
See our Guide to Mobile home Roof Insulation
There are many more tips available in our book Your Mobile Home: Energy and Repair Guide for Manufactured Housing, 5th Edition
Energy Efficiency inside your Mobile Home
The interior of your mobile home or manufactured housing can be a cause of much wasted energy. From doors, windows , walls and lighting, to the kitchen, bathroom, furnace and appliances – there are a lot of ways to lower energy bills and save money inside your mobile home.
3. Save Energy in the Kitchen
Did you know that you can speed up cooking and save energy by using lids on pots and pans? Pressure cookers can reduce cooking time even further.
Other ways to reduce energy in the kitchen include; defrosting in the fridge in advance instead of using a microwave, not using your full oven for small meals, choosing Energy Star® appliances and not overfilling your refrigerator.
For more tips on creating an energy efficient kitchen – read our articles Save Energy in the Kitchen and Best Baking Methods for energy Efficiency
4. Replace Light Bulbs with Energy Efficient Lighting
All homes can benefit from energy efficient lighting. Most homes use 10%-12% of the entire home energy on lighting, making savings that could lower mobile home energy bills.
Simple ways to improve the energy output of your lighting include: changing lighbulbs to compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL’s) – CFL’s use up to a quarter of the energy of a regular lightbulb. Switch lighting off when it is not needed; clean lighting fixtures to maximize lighting output.
See our article Energy Efficient Lighting for more tips.
5. Service your Mobile Home Furnace
Unlike site built homes, mobile home furnaces draw air directly into the furnace through removable grilles. Cleaning or replacing the furnace filter inside can drastically reduce energy costs and make the furnace more efficient.
It is also a good idea to inspect the squirrel cage blower at the top of your mobile home furnace for any dust, or grease.
See our Guide to Servicing your Mobile Home Furnace
6. Make your Mobile Home Windows more Energy Efficient
Simple plastic window coverings can help reduce energy costs and cut out drafts. The disposable plastic covering can be removed for the summer.
Storm windows – extra glass panes fitted to the interior of mobile home windows can also be installed for permanent energy savings. Internal storm windows are also more protected from the elements. Make sure the frame is tightly sealed. Additional insulation can be achieved with foam tape.
Read more in our article: Storm Windows for energy savings
7. Mobile Home Cooling (inside & out!)
Air conditioners not only cool the air, they take out moisture to make the air more comfortable. You can lower AC running costs by lowering the moisture in your mobile home so that your AC unit can run more efficiently. Moisture comes from two main sources: the ground, and air leakage from Air Conditioning units.
Another way to reduce air conditioning costs is to prevent the heat before it gets to your home using a cool roof solution (see point 1), and employing effective use of shade trees, trellises and window films. For more information read our article on Mobile Home Cooling
Mobile Home Flooring and Crawl Space Savings
8. Add Insulation under the Floor
Mobile homes often already have insulation, but they tend to be partially filled which means there is always room for more!
It is a good idea to hire an insulation professional and ask for blown fiberglass to reduce the potential corrosion of any metal parts from cellulose insulation.
See more Mobile Home Winter Tips
9. Check your Crawlspace & Ducts
The crawl space underneath your manufactured home is often neglected, but there are energy savings to be had beneath the floor. Adding skirting around the mobile home can prevent excess heat from escaping but make sure you can still access the crawl space.
Check the area underneath the furnace for loose ducts or joints and use metal duct tape if possible as traditional gray fabric tape can come loose.
See our article on Crawl Space Inspection
10. Check for Water Leakage and Seepage
The life span of your mobile home can be shortened by problems from water damage and cause greater problems with the home’s efficiency. Water damage can be from rainwater through the roof as well as through the foundation. It is important to plan the site for the home and it’s position in regard to water drainage, keeping it away from the skirting and crawl space.
Read more on Water Leakage and Seepage
There are so many things you can do to save energy in your mobile or manufactured home and we have plenty of additional tips in our best selling book ‘Mobile Home Energy‘
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