A Greener Home in 5 Easy Steps
With a few easy steps every home could become greener by making eco-friendly choices.
20/05/2019
Making your home greener shouldn't be a trend, it should be a lifestyle. With just a few easy steps you could have a greener home that is on its way to being more eco-friendly, and if we all take action we can really make a difference.
01 Insulate Your Home
If you haven't yet got round to insulating your home, now is the time to look into this. Windows and doors are the main culprits in the loss of energy and insulating just these two areas will improve your insulation during the cold winter and hot summer months.
And let's not forget about the ceiling space, as this is another area where adding insulation will improve the efficiency of a home. Insulating the ceiling space will create a warm home during winter and a cool home during summer. This will effectively reduce your heating and cooling bills.
02 Invest in Energy Efficiency
If your appliances are more than 10 years old they are costly to run and not energy efficient by today's standards. Even if your appliances are in good working order, moving forward you will save a lot of money on electricity bills and cut down on your monthly electricity consumption by replacing older models with energy efficient appliances.
Not only does purchasing the latest energy efficient appliances cut down on your electricity costs, in the case of dishwashers, washing machines and the like, they also reduce water wastage. The amount that you will save on a monthly basis depends on your regional electricity costs and the appliances you are looking to replace.
The types of appliances that are the best investment as far as energy efficiency is concerned are... refrigerator and freezer, air conditioner, electrical heater, dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer, as well as ovens and hobs. Consider that many of these appliances use up to 40% less energy to run than older models.
03 Use Your Microwave More Often
Did you know that a microwave is far more energy-efficient than using an oven? Unlike a conventional oven, microwave ovens do not expend energy to heat up the space, but rather use microwaves to heat the food. This means that microwave ovens are far more efficient than traditional ovens.
04 Implement Water Wise Methods
Whether or not there are water restrictions in place, every home needs to implement water wise methods in their home. Being water wise means putting practices in place to cut down in water usage on a permanent basis and not only when there are water restrictions.
There are plenty of ways to cut down on the use of water and these can include... installing water saving appliances or sanitary ware such as dual-flush toilets and efficient showerheads, ensuring taps or fittings have no leaks, taking a shower instead of a bath, using a dishwasher or washing machine only for full loads, and more.
05 Cut Down on Plastics
Reduce the quantity of plastic waste in the home by shopping wisely and thinking in a more eco-friendly way. For example, rather than have all your shopping packed in plastic grocery bags, carry bags with you whenever you shop. It is so easy to keep some spare eco-friendly bags in the boot of your car, so that they are always handy when you are out and about.
Be more aware when shopping for groceries by focusing more on naturally packed products in cardboard or glass. While there are plenty of plastics that can be recycled, avoid any type of goods stored in polystyrene.
Avoid plastic items that are slowly being phased out such as plastic straws, disposable plastic cups, plastic cutlery or plates, and replace these with items manufactured in a sustainable manner.
Continue to be greener
There are so many other ways to be green in the home, from using non-toxic cleaners and products, to making sure items in the home are harvested in a sustainable method or contain less VOCs . By working together we can truly bring amount change, even with small steps.