An increasing number of homeowners are becoming much more environmentally conscious and want to make changes to their lifestyle to reflect this. Making your home more energy efficient and more environmentally friendly, like using reusable shopping bags, doesn’t mean you have to live in darkness or eat nothing but seeds for dinner! There are a surprising number of ways you can cut down your carbon footprint and do your bit to help the environment. And not only do these methods not have to break the bank, they might even end up saving you money.
The Basics
There are many ways to start cutting down on your energy usage instantly.
- Switching to energy saving light bulbs means you will use less electricity, and being vigilant about switching lights off in unused parts of the house will instantly cut your energy bill.
- Making sure appliances are switched off is essential; don’t leave televisions, stereos, and DVD players or games consoles on standby, and don’t keep your laptop plugged into the mains all the time. This will use energy you don’t need and will shorten your laptop battery’s life.
An increasing number of homes are now being fitted with a water meter to encourage people to keep an eye on their water consumption, so using less water can save you money – and of course helps the environment.
- Taking a shower uses only 1/3 of the water of a bath, and if you’ve been putting off fixing your leaky taps then consider the fact that just one drip per minute can waste 2700 gallons of water every year! Get out that wrench and tighten those washers today.
- If you’re a keen gardener then try to use the hose as little as possible. Install a water butt to collect rain and excess waste water from your home that you can then use to water your garden.
If You’re Really Committed…
If you truly want to make a big commitment to environmental issues but want to draw the line at moving to a smallholding in the countryside, there are a few things you can do even in your home in the suburbs. Installing solar panels on your home is a great way to harness the sun’s natural energy. Many people balk at the cost of the initial outlay to purchase the panels and get them installed, but the government is now running many schemes where you can have your solar panels subsidised or even paid for completely. The savings you will then make on energy bills mean they will pay for themselves eventually!
So whether it’s something as small yet significant as switching from plastic bags to eco-friendly jute bags, or deciding to install solar panels, with a few small changes around the home, you can make a big impact on the environment.
