An eco-friendly home is a great way to do your bit to support the well-being of society. We all know that single-use plastic and CO2 emissions are the most significant sources of pollution on the planet and causing some big problems. We’ve got some easy tips for you to try that are small changes with large impacts. Check out our selection below.
Wash your clothes in cold water
Did you know that up to 90% of the energy used in a washing machine goes toward heating the water? If you want to be more eco-friendly at home, do a cold wash! Not only are you reducing CO2 emissions, but cold water washes are scientifically proven to keep your clothes in top condition for longer. There really is no need to wash your clothes with hot water unless you’re removing a nasty stain. It’s a small change that will make a huge difference and doesn’t require much effort!
Switch to LED
Having the correct energy-efficient light bulbs makes a difference toward a more environmentally-friendly home. LED Light bulbs are proven to be 80% more efficient than conventional lightbulbs. Did you know a traditional lightbulb converts 95% of its energy into heat, and only 5% goes toward the actual lighting? That’s a lot of waste on heat. LED lights also have a longer lifespan than traditional lightbulbs. They’re more eco-friendly too, as they contain no toxic materials. That makes disposal a lot easier and without the risk of leaking harmful products into the environment. It’s a no-brainer!
Switch to an eco-friendly heating source
Heating a home is very important. It’s possible to adopt a renewable heating system that doesn’t skimp on quality too. Boilers are a great way to be more eco-friendly when heating your home. It’s possible to identify green boiler systems that use a ‘clean energy’ approach and pollute less. Biomass boilers are excellent for this as they send no more carbon into the air than it takes in. This means they are carbon-neutral, which is a great eco-friendly option for heating your home.
Use eco-friendly cleaning products
A lot of cleaning products contain toxic chemicals that are harmful to the environment. So, while you’re doing a good job cleaning your home, the impact is potentially deadly to the environment! Detergents, preservatives and foaming agents can be incredibly harmful to nature. It’s essential to use products that do not contain these ingredients if you wish not to harm the environment.
Another great thing about eco-friendly cleaning products is that they are much safer to use. If you’re not sure where to start, we’d suggest looking up The Environmental Working Group. It’s an organization that researches and reports on green cleaning products. They’ve got a bunch of suggestions for all eco-friendly cleaning products you might need in your household.
Install solar panels
If you want to make your whole home eco-friendly, then solar panels are an essential item for doing so. It’s a long-term investment, but the impact can be incredible, especially if you live in a sunny destination!
You have to pay a hefty investment upfront. That being said, in the long-term, you could save a lot more money than you spend right now. If you’re really lucky, you might be able to generate enough electricity to go completely off-grid. It’s not impossible and would certainly be eco-friendly if you were to do so!
Pick water-based paints
If you’re about to do some redecorating, consider doing this in the most eco-friendly way. It’s possible to purchase water-based paints that contain only natural pigments. Oil-based paints, unfortunately, are not as eco-friendly as water-based paints. There’s zero difference in quality, and we find you have a better variety of colours in the water-based selection anyway! It’s an easy change to make that doesn’t require a big investment, but you’ll certainly be more eco-friendly by doing so!
Double Glaze your windows with wooden frames
Many older homes were initially never double-glazed due to the belief that it wasn’t aesthetically pleasing. That being said, double-glazed windows reduce energy consumption costs and keep your home much better insulated in the long run! It’s an easy way to be more energy-efficient and eco-friendly in your home.
Double glazing is only half the job. Many double-glazed windows are made with UPVC frames that can be very polluting as they emit toxic compounds. It’s a bit more expensive to opt for wooden frames, but you’ll be much more environmentally friendly in doing so. If you look after them properly, they last much longer as well. They’re just as durable as the plastic options.
Start composting
Composting is a great way to be more eco-friendly in your home. It’s easy to DIY your compost bin too. All you have to do is buy a cheap container from a DIY outlet and scrape any leftover food into there. The food will break down slowly. When the compost is ready, you can use it to fertilize your garden. So you’re reducing household waste while going toward your production of self-made produce.
Smarten up your kitchen
So many of our kitchen appliances use an incredible amount of energy. Your oven is one of the most significant energy users due to all the energy required to power up the heater. Only use the oven if you have to. A microwave or toaster uses much less energy and gets the job done faster! Opening the door also wastes so much energy. Try to avoid doing so if you can. It takes a while for the oven to reach optimum cooking temperature again once you have done so. Halogen ovens use much less energy as they don’t need to be preheated and cook food in a quarter of the time. It’s a great solution to quick-cooking that is more eco-friendly.
Coffee pods are another serious polluter. If you love your morning coffee but don’t want to skimp on flavour, try opting for a drip coffee maker. With drip coffee, all you need is ground coffee. So you’ll save on the polluting plastic capsules that fill up landfills every year.
Buy a water filter
Having a water filter means you won’t have to worry about buying plastic water bottles anymore to consume safe water. It means your home will instantly become more eco-friendly. Not only does a water filter save time and money, but you’ll also save the amount of plastic that goes into landfills every month as a result of the overconsumption of plastic products.
So now you’ve checked out some of our easy tips to be more eco-friendly in your home. You’ll see it’s pretty easy to make the change, and small changes can have big differences! If you got any tips you’d like to share for a more eco-friendly home also, we’d love to hear them! Feel free to leave a message in the comments box below.
Also! Think about making your bathroom earth-friendly!
There are many ways to do this: install a low-flow shower head, low-flow shower aerator, or high-efficiency toilet. Since toilets use much water, switching to a high-efficiency model can drastically reduce water consumption and bills. While older toilets can use up to 7 gallons a flush, most high-efficiency toilets use only 1.5 gallons of water per flush, and some use even less!
Also, consider upgrading to a high-SEER air conditioner for improved energy efficiency, lower utility bills, and reduced carbon footprint. Overall, these models provide a more sustainable and comfortable home environment.
Before buying an AC, please remember to check new efficiency standards for HVAC systems in 2023 — these changes are legally effective from January 1 this year.
Here’s one more important thing to keep in mind if you want to make your home greener and more energy-efficient. If you have a central air conditioning system, make sure to check your ductwork for leaks and fix them if necessary. Leaky ducts can decrease your home’s heating and cooling efficiency by up to 40%.
While buying eco-friendly heating systems is indeed a great step towards reducing energy consumption, it’s important to remember that the responsibility doesn’t end there – you also need to remember to maintain them properly for better energy efficiency. Regular heating system maintenance can improve a home’s energy efficiency by up to 15%. And poorly maintained systems can become a real energy drain.
Thanks for sharing this article. I have one more tip to add. Make sure you have your thermostat in the right spot. If it’s too close to a fireplace, in direct sunlight, or in a room that’s much cooler or warmer than the rest, it might not get a good read on your home’s overall temperature. This can make your heating or cooling system work harder than it needs to. Moving your thermostat to a place that better represents the average temperature of your home can make a big difference.
Double-glazing your windows with wooden frames is definitely a good idea. However, if you’re thinking about upgrading your windows, especially if they’re getting a bit old, you might want to consider steel thermally broken windows as an alternative. These aren’t just any windows. They’re designed to significantly improve insulation in your home, which is great for keeping your energy bills down. What makes them stand out is the way they’re made to stop heat from escaping, making your home more comfortable and energy-efficient. And, on top of that, steel is a strong, long-lasting material that’s also good for the environment because it can be recycled.