In today’s climate, everyone is being told to pitch in where and when he or she can to help the environment. And, although you may agree completely with the sentiment, you may be thinking, how can I help? This list is aimed at providing provide you with the knowledge and know-how to make your home as environmentally friendly as you possibly make it.
It is absolutely important for all homes to become eco-friendly ones if we truly wish to maintain our environment. And, because this goal can only be attained if we all work together, it is extremely imperative to follow this list and make any changes where you can.
Install Heating Under the Floor
Heating under the floor has become a staple of modern, newly built homes. This method offers a much more efficient way of heating an entire room as opposed to the conventional and traditional method of radiators. And, not only does underfloor heating maximize space, but it also goes a long way to creating a home that is more eco-friendly. There are numerous benefits to having underfloor heating, so let us have a look at some now:
One major benefit of having heating under the floor throughout your house is that it gets warmer a lot quicker. A traditional radiator will take a long time to heat up, and, then, it takes a long time for that heat to make its way around the whole room. Underfloor heating sends the heat directly to you from the floor itself, thus maximizing efficiency because the whole room is heated at the same time.
Another benefit to underfloor heating is that it frees up a great deal of space in the room. This maximized the opportunity to style your room in whatever way you wish. While underfloor heating may be costly, its benefits to the environment and to your home are definitely worth the price.
Use Locally Sourced Tradesmen and Building Supplies
When refurbishing your house, try to use tradespeople and building supplies that are locally sourced. This will make sure that no extra carbon emissions are emitted because these supplies or workers traveled a long distance to come and work at your house. While not initially harmful to the environment, the constant trips up and down the country to deliver these supplies can build up an unnecessarily high amount of carbon emissions over time.
Buy Furniture from Recycled Materials
While you may think that your current furniture is not harming the environment, it is also not helping it. If you intend to make any renovations or improvements to your house, consider buying furniture that is made from recycled materials. This is a simple and straightforward decision that could actually help the environment a great deal. If we all started buying furniture made from recycled materials, the demand for standard products would be drastically lowered, and less environmentally hazardous processes will take place, such as the manufacturing of the furniture and the transporting of it. This would reduce a lot of carbon emissions in the process.
Invest in Solar Panels
Whether or not there is a lot of sun to use for energy, solar panels are a great way to reduce the amount of energy that your household requires over a long period of time. If everyone had solar panels in his or her home, then a lot less energy would be required overall. This would reduce the emissions that are produced in power plants and other facilities used to generate the power, thus helping to maintain the environment. In the long term, investing in solar panels will also save you a great deal of money because you will require less energy from the company that supplies your power.
Replace Single-glazed Windows with Double-glazed Ones
The energy saved in houses with windows that are double glazed is actually pretty remarkable. Double-glazed windows do not let as much heat out of the room, which means that you do not need to turn on the heating as much. This leads to more energy being saved over a long period of time. Subsequently, less energy is required in your household, and this ensures that less power is generated by a harmful power plant or another generator facility.
Wood-framed Windows Instead of UPVC
A very simple and easy way to keep your home eco-friendly is to use wood-framed windows as opposed to UPVC ones. The manufacturing and transporting of these materials can be extremely hazardous to the environment. Wooden window frames are also a lot easier and cheaper to repair should it be necessary. Wooden frames also help to insulate the room. This means less energy will be required to heat the room. UPVC also emits toxic compounds that are very hazardous to both the environment and your home. Therefore, wooden frames are a much more viable solution.
Energy-Saving Light Bulbs
Another very easy and nontime-consuming thing to do to help the environment is to buy light bulbs that are energy saving. These can drastically reduce the amount of energy that is usually required to light your home. They are very affordable, so this option is an extremely easy one to do and should be a must if you wish to make your home eco-friendlier.
Monitor Your Electricity Consumption
This is an easy way to monitor exactly how much energy you are using so that you can clearly see which appliances are using the most energy and can then take precautions to make sure that the energy these appliances require is not being taken unnecessarily. This is a quick and simple way to see exactly how much energy you use overall, and it will hopefully show you how easy it is to maintain a healthy and eco-friendly home while also using your regular appliances on a daily basis.
Lower Your Thermostat
It is as simple as flicking a switch! Or turning a dial. This is a very easy way to make sure that your home remains an eco-friendly one. By simply lowering your thermostat and regulating and monitoring your use of hot water, you can very easily reduce the amount of energy required to heat up the water in the first place, and reduce the overall amount of energy in the household. This will also save you a great deal of money because usually many homeowners have their thermostat set way too high without realizing it. This means that by lowering it, you could save yourself a great deal of money in energy savings.
Water-Saving Showerhead
Another extremely easy step to take is to fit a water-saving showerhead in your bathtub or shower to easily reduce a great deal of waste when it comes to water usage. A low-flow showerhead can still get the job done while also saving you energy, water, and money. When showering, you should also consider taking less time when you can because this will also greatly reduce the amount of water that you waste on a daily basis and will also save you a great deal of money in the long run. The less energy required to power the shower, the more you will reduce your overall electricity and heating bills.
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