As we argue over electric car charging sockets and heat pumps, it’s undeniable that most of our homes have a long way to go to be environmentally friendly.
To reach net-zero, we have to rethink our homes and how we heat them. But while it’s easy to associate going green with inconvenient and luxurious lifestyle changes, there are actually several affordable and easy adjustments you can make around the house to considerably reduce your CO2 footprint.
To make it as bearable as possible for you to understand common environmental features and transform your home into a clean energy heaven, we’ve completed a list of the easiest environmentally friendly changes right here. Keep reading, and soak in the satisfaction that comes with being a green warrior.
What Makes a Home Sustainable?
- Building methods and materials
- Decorating choices
- Windows
- Insulation
- Plumbing fixtures
- Appliances
- Use of Smart Systems
- Energy generation from wind or sun
- Habits when it comes to regular maintenance, conservation, and green cleaning
Light Up Your Home with LEDs
Recent findings hint that light-emitting diodes ( LEDs) use 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs. LEDs quickly come to be the unsung heroes in the electronics world. They have several advantages over traditional incandescent bulbs, but their main advantage is efficiency.
In incandescent bulbs, the light production generates a lot of heat and requires a lot of energy that’s wasted unless you’re using the lamp as a heater because a larger share of the available energy isn’t going toward the production of light. LEDs, on the other hand, generate little to no heat and a much higher percentage of energy goes directly to generating, which cuts down the electricity demand considerably.
With that said, switching to LEDs will not only potentially make your household more environmentally friendly but also save you a huge chunk of money on your energy bills.
Install Low-Emittance Windows
In today’s world, where increasingly more homeowners are looking for ways to improve energy efficiency, thus becoming more environmentally-friendly, Low-E windows are becoming a standard part of that solution.
Due to their coating, these energy-efficient windows confer higher insulation than standards of non-coated glass. Their coating helps reflect heat back into the house during the winter months and to the outside during the summer months. They will also help you spend less on heating and cooling expenses thanks to their insulative properties and reduce the number of UV rays that are known to damage fabrics and flooring.
Using Programmable Thermostats
Programmable thermostats have not only the potential to save a significant amount of money on energy bills but also help you become more aware of energy consumption. According to the EPA, cooling and heating account for 42% of a home’s energy consumption, on average. This number is often higher than it needs to be as a household is often cooled or heated even when residents are asleep or away.
Even with this information, the same survey revealed that almost half of homeowners don’t change the thermostat at all. In theory, programmable thermostats – which can automatically raise or lower temperatures depending on the time day or day of the week – can save between 10 and 30% on the power bills. In reality, most households using thermostats don’t even realise this level of energy savings.
Switching to Energy – Efficient and Eco-Friendly Water Heating System
When replacing a boiler, you should consider its energy efficiency level to cut the overall cost of heating your home. By doing so, you will be taking into consideration the environment and reducing CO2 emissions.
Older boilers are known to experience serious leakages of CO2, and this can lead to poisoning. The air pollution from the waste gases generated by these systems depends on the fuel used to generate heat. Fossil fuels have always powered boilers and other heating systems, and this has been a key contributor to air pollution.
Despite many heating systems relying on the same fuel type, people are now embracing sustainable heating solutions that are more energy-efficient.
Monthly bills usually seem higher after winter and have the tendency to come when least expected. An efficient heating system is ideal for reducing your CO2 emissions and is a smart money saver.
Replacing an older boiler system for a much greener one can be an expensive endeavour, unlike a steam boiler rental which is a temporary boiler is easier to install and cheaper to run in the long term.
Limit Your Electronics Usage
We know. It’s impossible to avoid the temptation of technology, particularly when you get home from a long day at work. But if you plan to slash your carbon footprint, you should aim to keep your electronics usage to a minimum.
How exactly are your electronic devices and environment-related? Well, according to a report from McMaster, the data centres that drive our devices consume tremendous amounts of energy, and fossil fuels power a majority of them. For each phone call, for each message, every video you download or upload, there’s a data centre making this possible… and they eat up a lot of energy to serve you. What can you do? The only viable solution is to cut back on hours you spend online or switch to entertainment ways that don’t necessarily include feeds.
Shop Locally and Cook at Home
Because you can’t control the portions you receive at restaurants, you can at least control how much food you prepare at home. And these portion sizes could help you reduce the amount of food waste, which is a lot: According to a report, almost 50% of all the country’s produce -nearly 60 million tonnes – is ditched in the trash.
Another thing that can help you reduce food waste and CO2 emissions from transportation is shopping locally. Opt for locally and organic-sourced products, especially those from farmers ‘markets.
