9 Tips to Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly
Many people these days are looking for methods to reduce our environmental harm, minimize waste and boost sustainability. To do these things, you don’t necessarily need to go as far as going totally off-grid.
Here are some eco-friendly ideas for your home which can support our planet’s well-being:
1. Use LED Light Bulbs
These light bulbs use around 75 percent less energy compared to incandescent light bulbs and can continue to function over 25 times longer. Changing your light bulbs is a quick, easy thing you can do in your home which can help save money and protect the environment.
2. Grow Your Own Food
By growing your own food, you can reduce your carbon footprint via eliminating gas usage when you drive to the store for food or have food delivered to your home. If gardening is new to you, start with easy things to grow such as cucumbers, tomatoes, root vegetables and leafy greens. Be sure to use safe, sustainable weedkillers as well, as chemical weedkillers can be bad for the environment and dangerous.
3. Use Energy Star-Rated Ceiling Fans
As heat waves are becoming more common, air conditioners are becoming more popular. However, this comes with a cost to the environment, as around 20 percent of the residential energy use in America is for powering air conditioners.
Regardless if your air conditioner is essential or not, you can minimize your use of it by setting the thermostat to a higher temperature as well as by utilizing more fans around your home. Energy Star-rated ceiling fans are 60 percent more efficient than the average ceiling fan and can make sure you keep cool while reducing your energy use.
4. Use an Eco-Friendly Fireplace
Fireplaces are luxurious focal points in many homes which add ambiance when the weather gets colder. Energy-efficient fireplaces which help to heat your home by using an energy source which is renewable can reduce the costs of heating while being environmentally-friendly.
Natural gas fireplaces are the most eco-friendly, efficient options. However, if you wish to retrofit your wood-burning fireplace, wood stove inserts are good options which can help to heat your home effectively.
5. Unplug Unused Electronics
Unplug all electronics you don’t use, even if they are turned off. Plugged-in electronics and appliances still draw energy from outlets. Unused devices which are kept plugged in to sockets can quickly lead to increased energy use and inflated energy bills.
6. Reevaluate Your Insulation
Does it seem like you’re always turning the thermostat down in the summer and up in the winter? Consider sustainable energy hacks such as improving your insulation. In a lot of homes, especially older pieces of real estate, little holes and cracks we can’t see let cold and hot air into your home, leading to higher energy bills. It’s amazing how much energy conservation can occur when your attic is properly insulated.
7. Wash Clothes in Cold Water
You can save energy by using cold water to wash clothes. Washing machines use 75 percent more energy when they are set to use hot water. Using cold water can also preserve your clothes. While hot water causes color fading, cold water prevents color bleeding.
8. Use an Eco-Friendly Car
While not necessarily a home improvement, cars are a huge contributor to damaging our environment. If you want to become a more sustainable human being, it’s a good idea to invest in a sustainable vehicle such as an electric car. An added benefit is that these cars often save you money on gas in the long run. And some of the newer models have safety features that can help you avoid accidents and fender benders.
9. Become a Minimalist
When you practice a minimalist lifestyle and buy less decorations and furniture, it helps declutter your house and reduce your overall waste. Paradoxically, the less clutter and the more minimalist you make your house, the more elegant and luxurious your building could look.
