Six ways to make your home eco-friendly
With the looming threat of climate change and constant reports about how human activity contributes to it, many people are looking for ways to make their home more eco-friendly. Here are six tips to make your lifestyle more sustainable and your home more energy efficient.
Cut Back
By cutting back on the amount of energy you consume in your home, you will be well on your way to living a more eco-friendly and sustainable life. This could mean implementing a lights off policy and relying on more natural lighting during the day. Another example: air dry your clothing, as dryers consume large amounts of energy. Cutting back the amount of energy your home uses during the winter and summer, bu using less heating and air conditioning, can also have a huge impact on your consumption rates. Consider lowering your thermostat in the winter and relying on more blankets or sweaters. Similarly, in the summer open the windows and utilize natural airflow whenever possible.
Compost and Grow
Growing your own food can be a fun, rewarding, delicious, and eco-friendly. This could mean starting a small garden in your yard, or even having plants indoors year round to supplement your food bought from the grocery store. You can also compost your food waste to cut back on how much you send to the dump. Composting has the added benefit of creating fertilizer, which can be used to make sure your vegetables grow to their full potential, resulting in the biggest and most delicious harvest for you. The added benefit is that after the initial setup of garden and composter, each season will be easier as your garden and compost will be established already.
Hire Professionals
Sometimes it is best to consult professionals when determining your course of action to make your home more eco-friendly. There are many contractors who will give you free estimates and honest appraisals of whatever work needs to be done. In terms of lawn care, make sure to consult professional mowing services to ensure that your lawn is eco-friendly as well. Harmful pesticides and products can hurt your lawn and surrounding wildlife, so make sure you consult the pros and put your health first, while also doing your part to cut back on excess chemicals in the soil of your home.
Go Solar
Incorporating solar panels into your house’s power grid can be a great way to make your home more eco-friendly. Many people use solar panels to great effect, often powering their own home and sending power back into the grid. If you produce an excess amount of solar power then the local hydro services will often pay you for it! This can put some money in your pocket while you do your part to be more eco friendly.
Light It Up
By replacing all the lights in your home with an energy efficient bulb you can have a huge impact on how eco-friendly your home is, and also save money on electricity costs. This can seem like a bit of a hit to your wallet initially, but think of it as an investment. It will save you money in the long run by using less energy, and by using less energy you will also be making your home more efficient and reducing your carbon footprint.
Use The Earth
Many people are increasingly using geothermal heating and cooling in their homes rather than conventional methods. Installing geothermal equipment into your home can seem costly, but it will be an investment that will pay off with dividends. In addition to paying itself off over time by the heating bills you won’t have, it is also an eco-friendly alternative to things like natural gas.
Moving Forward
We hope that by reading this list of tips you have found some useful information that will guide you in the right direction to make your home more eco-friendly and potentially save some money in the process. These 6 tips are proven ways to decrease your individual consumption rates, and in turn your carbon footprint.
