5 Ways To Make Your Home More Eco-friendly
We’re all becoming more aware for the need to be eco-friendly, and these days many of us do the basics, such as recycling rubbish, without really thinking about it too much. However, looking at the wider picture, there are lots of different ways – some big, some small – that will really go a long way to helping us all become much savvier about our home environment and encourage a more sustainable way of life.
1. Look into the possibility of installing a smart meter
It’s really easy, especially during the colder months of the year to leave the heating on for longer than you actually need. Our boilers and home heating systems are one of the biggest ways we consume energy as homeowners or renters.
One of the best ways to deal with this is to look into having a Smart Meter installed in your home. These ingenious devices can be programmed to only come on at certain times of the day, so could be used to heat the house up before you return from work or turn on a little while before you get up in a morning during Winter.
They’re a real boon for anyone who is concerned about their carbon footprint, not only that, but for those who are concerned about the rising cost of their energy bills and would like to decrease them.
It can be a real eye-opener and a good way to monitor your electricity consumption generally.
2. Invest in energy efficient light bulbs
Although energy efficient light bulbs have been in existence for a good number of years now, it’s only in the last few years that the general public have really started to become more educated about their effectiveness and how they can save money around the home.
In the past, there have been complaints that they simply don’t throw out enough light, or that they take a long time to light a room properly. Improvements in their technology are happening all the time and now more than ever is the right time to make the switch. Not only do they use less electricity, they don’t need to replaced anywhere near as often as regular, old fashioned light bulbs did.
3. Installing solar panels on your home
For any home wanting to really become eco-friendly, solar panels are an essential feature. They are a long-term investment, and although there will be an initial layout of money, in the long term you could potentially save more money than you spend.
Some people are lucky enough to find that solar panels make enough electricity for them to go completely off grid.
4. Insulate your home properly
A well-insulated home holds in heat properly, meaning that it’ll take less energy to keep reheating your living space when you really need to. It’s one of the smartest ways to save money.
Good places to start include the walls of your house and the roof. Another tip is to think about your windows as insolation too – we’ll cover this more further on but think about double glazing any windows that aren’t already.
5. Install underfloor heating
Whilst many people aren’t troubled by radiators or heaters, some people prefer a more minimalist approach to their home heating. Underfloor heating can be a worthwhile consideration to save money. Often more associated with more newly built homes, it can just as easily be installed in older properties too.