A green home has a number of benefits. By making your home greener, you will be doing your part to make positive changes for the sake of the environment. You also have the added bonus of saving money on your household bills and expenses.
Taking steps to make your home green can reduce your waste and energy use and usually involves making small changes to your lifestyle and your home.
Do your bit to help the environment with these 15 tips for making your home greener.
1. Get a smart meter
If you don’t already have a smart meter, then you should definitely think about getting one. A smart meter can help you monitor how much energy you’re using, helping you identify areas for savings. Smart meters can also help you get more accurate readings, saving you been out of pocket from your provider.
2. Reduce your heating costs
How much of your heating is wasted? Do you leave it on when you leave the house or in rooms where it’s not needed? You could be wasting a lot of energy each year. Consider getting electric radiators from Electric Radiators Direct will allow you to control heat in the rooms that you’re using, which can stop you wasting as much energy. You’re also reducing your gas emissions, which is better for the environment.
3. Switch to energy efficient light bulbs
Switching to energy efficient light bulbs is one of the easiest things you can do to be greener at home. Using far less energy than standard light bulbs, you’ll save money on your electricity costs as well as help reduce the impact on the environment. You can buy energy efficient light bulbs in a variety of colours, and as they’re long lasting – you won’t need to replace them for a long time after buying them.
4. Try ‘Meat-free Mondays’
A huge amount of the world’s greenhouse gases are created in the animal agricultural sector, contributing to climate change. By buying and therefore consuming less meat, families can help to tackle the problem. ‘Meat-free Mondays’ are becoming more and more popular in many households, and you can join in too. There are some delicious meat-free recipes you can try that will help your family cut your meat intake.
5. Say no
Saying no to things you don’t want or need is a good way to make your home greener. Refusing carrier bags in shops, for example, is a good way to cut down on plastic waste. Meanwhile, if you tend to say yes to receiving things like promotional pens, straws, leaflets and other throwaway items – start saying no. You’ll do yourself a favour by having less clutter, while also saving on waste.
6. Consider getting solar panels
Solar panels can be a fantastic energy-efficient way to power your home, as well as potentially making some money from them too. If you’ve got a south-facing home, your property could be a good fit for solar panels. It’s worth reading up on the pros and cons of solar panels before you decide to commit. Meanwhile, if you decide they’re not right for your home, you can always invest in a portable solar panel power pack to charge up your mobile devices while you’re out and about.
7. Use reusable containers
Like your daily takeaway coffee? Save on waste by using a reusable cup. Single-use water bottles should also become a thing of your past, with options for glass and metal bottles which you can take with you to work, to give the kids for school as well as when you’re out and about running errands.Try using lunchboxes for your food instead of wrapping it, as these can easily be washed and used again.
8. Cut your shower time
Cutting your shower time can help reduce water wastage, save your hot water and make you more efficient in the morning. There are plenty of techniques that can help you to reduce your shower time – so get practicing. Make it a competition in your home to encourage everyone to get involved!
9. Reuse and recycle
Households can throw out a lot of waste, either through excess or by not recycling enough. By being more ruthless with what you throw away, you can actually reduce your waste by a significant amount. Got some spare palettes lying around? Turn them into a climbing frame! If you have old furniture you’re thinking of throwing away – consider upcycling it instead to give it a new lease of life.
10. Reduce your food waste
Food waste is a big problem in the UK, and there is a big emphasis on households to cut down on how much food they throw out. Some easy ways to reduce food waste include planning food in advance and prepping foods on the weekend, and to make more of your freezer. By making some simple changes, you can save money and help ease the food waste problem.
11. Stop the standby
While putting your appliances on ‘standby’ might feel like you’re turning them off, but you’re actually still using energy to power them, even on standby mode. By turning your appliances off at the mains when they’re not in use, you could reduce your energy use and save some extra money too.
12. Take part in more active travel
While driving is a convenient and comfortable way to get around, the emissions released by your car can be damaging to the environment. While you can buy a vehicle with lower emissions, as well as electric cars, using more ‘active’ forms of travel can help you to get fit, and take some time off from the car. Active travel includes walking and cycling – forms of travel which are kind to the environment and can encourage you to get healthier too.
13. Insulate your home
Insulating your home is an easy way to conserve heat so that you can reduce your bills, while also making your home greener. Insulation requires a small investment on your part, but you’ll soon recover those costs over time. Speak to an insulation expert or check out ways to insulate your home to keep the heat in during the winter months. Other ways to keep heating costs down include wearing additional layers at home, cuddling up on the sofa and using hot water bottles.
14. Buy local
Buying local to help you become greener, and also benefits your local community. When you buy local, your food, clothes, etc. have travelled a shorter distance to your home, which is great news for the environment. When it comes to food, it will be much fresher than food that’s come from further afield, and you could even benefit from lower prices.
15. Go technology-free once in a while
Does your family rely on technology for everything? From watching TV to being glued to mobile phones and tablets – it’s difficult to give up the habit. Your devices use up energy, but going technology-free can help you to pursue other interests, use less energy and help you bond as a family.
As you can see, there are plenty of ways you can make your home greener. Adopting a more eco-friendly way of living can be done without making drastic lifestyle changes, and provides a great example to your children. With the money you can save over the course of the year, you can put it towards treats and holidays, helping all of your efforts to pay off. What will you do to make your home greener?
Disclosure: This is a featured post.
