1st February 2020
The focus of the news today is very much on climate change and how we can take steps to help save our planet. Luckily, being eco-friendly can also help homeowners to save money – so it’s a win-win for us all.
If you’re not sure where to start, here’s just a few ways you can help make your home more eco-friendly.
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Reducing your energy usage will save your bills and the environment.
There are plenty of quick and simple ways you can reduce the amount of energy in your home. Take a little look about the room you are in, and you are likely to see at least one machine left on standby most of the time. Just switching your TV off can start you saving.
Now take a look at the number of devices you have plugged into the same plug socket. Using a multi-socket extension will allow you to turn individual devices off when they are not in use.
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Turn the thermostat down
Another huge use of energy in the home is heating. While we all do appreciate a little warmth, do you really need it high enough to walk about in T-shirts all day? Just turning your thermostat down a notch and putting on a jumper could save you plenty in energy and heating bills.
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Let in a little more light
Do you have the curtains drawn and the lights on in the daytime? Letting in natural light will save your electricity bill, while replacing your bulbs with more energy-efficient bulbs will keep the bills down when you do turn them on.
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Heating your home without turning up the gas
Another way to improve the heating in your home is to ensure you have proper insulation throughout. Thick layers of insulating material in your attic, double glazing on your windows and cavity insulation in your wall spaces are all examples of ways you can keep your heat inside your home and your heating costs down.
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Save water, save money
One climate issue we may not consider here in the UK is the reduced availability of drinking water. After all, we have plenty of rain. Actually, as temperatures throughout the year increase, our water resources are getting lower. Newspaper reports in 2019 stated that England is due to run out of water within 25 years.
There are plenty of ways we can reduce our water consumption now – getting into better habits and teaching them to the next generation. These include saving rainwater for our gardens, turning taps off, having showers instead of baths and fixing leaks. And as many homes in the UK are on a water meter, this can only help reduce bills too.
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Upcycling is the new recycling
The war on plastic has been another theme recently – but it’s not just plastic that we throwaway needlessly. As fashions change and cheap flat-pack furniture is easily accessible, antique shops and auctions are filling with older styles, usually made from solid woods and considered too dark and heavy today. However, add a little imagination and upcycling and these could be a fantastic addition to a home – longer-lasting and cheaper than the modern alternatives.
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Use eco-friendly options in your home
If you want to take a further step in making your home more energy-efficient, consider where that energy comes from in the first place. Using solar panels for your electricity or air source heat pumps for your heating, can reduce your energy bills and even get your money back in tariffs. There may be an initial outlay, but if you plan on staying in your home long-term, this is one option that really makes your home, and your conscience, environmentally green.
