Today, the whole world is suffering from the adverse effects of the rapid pace of climate change and other environmental issues. The officials of countries around the globe are now in the process of learning to adapt to this phenomenon. Simultaneously, people are now engaging with different green activities to slow down the effects.
Making your home an eco-friendly space is one of those activities. It provides a lot of benefits, not only to the people who live in it but also to the environment. How to make it happen? Here are the six simple ways to transform your house into an eco-friendly home.
Use Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs
Light is definitely one of the most needed things in any house. Thus, investing in a more environmentally-friendly light source at home is a good place to start. If you are using traditional light bulbs, replace them with energy-efficient light bulbs instead. It may seem small, but it contributes positive effects to the environment any time you reduce energy consumption.
Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and halogen incandescents are examples of energy-efficient light bulbs. They generally use a fraction of the energy, which also means less expense for the electricity. They also last much longer than older incandescent lights, which means less waste.
Take It Easy When Using Water
When we talk about an eco-friendly and sustainable home, we tend to only think about the energy consumption we use. We are only aware of the electricity usage. But saving water is also part of making a home more sustainable.
An eco-friendly space with an eco-friendly family living in it takes water seriously. You might consider having a low-flow showerhead in your bathroom, and to opt for a shower instead of a bath. It decreases water consumption, as well as also your bill.
Saving water is an essential part of sustainable living. Thus, this is not only about what to install and what to replace in our house. This is also about what part of our behavior needs to be changed.
For instance, always be on the lookout for any possible leaks and fix them up right away. Do not run your water non-stop when brushing your teeth or shaving your facial hair. All those little and mundane things we do that can save water should be done regularly.
Practice Using Natural Products When Cleaning the House
By this time, you’re no doubt aware that some of the chemicals in conventional cleaning products are harmful not only to humans and animals but also to the environment. Normally, we rinse these products down the drain, eventually putting them in the water supply. It takes a lot of time for purification before the water is safe for use again.
Luckily, eco-friendly cleaning products are available now in the market. These products use natural and organic ingredients, only processed. Tick repellents, bathroom cleaners, dish soaps, detergents and all-purpose cleaners that are eco-friendly can now be found at different stores, especially online.
Invest in Insulation
Insulation will help your house to be more eco-friendly than before. It will keep the household from using a huge amount of energy. Investing in this is a good move in improving the environmental friendliness of your home.
Excellent insulation holds the heat inside the house. You do not have to burn and waste energy to reheat the house all the time, especially during the cold weather. This helps a lot in reducing energy consumption.
You can place insulation in many parts of the house, such as walls and in roofs. You can also cover exposed hardwood floors with rugs for added warmth. Double-glazed windows are advisable too, if you’re planning on replacing your old windows.
Get a Smart Meter
Installing a smart meter is an intelligent move for your eco-friendly space. You will have a better sense of energy consumption in your home, making your bills lower and minimizing the energy you use.
A smart meter provides various advantages. It gives a more accurate reading of energy usage, compared to older meters. It will also provide you a clearer understanding of your energy usage since it shows the energy you have been using in the display, making you track it from time to time. Lastly, it allows you to make other changes in your home’s energy efficiency (like swapping out lightbulbs) and determine how effective those changes have been.
Consider Going Solar
Solar panels are certainly one of the essential features of an eco-house, if you’re looking for a larger project. Once installed, you’ll be contributing a lot to the betterment of our environment. The renewable energy used will provide a clean source of electricity without worrying so much about the regular bills.
Rooftop solar panel systems for houses are now widely used, and the market is still growing rapidly. Due to its popularity and other considerations, the price for residential installation has dropped in recent years, making it more affordable. Thus, going solar is a big-impact investment that’s more and more feasible for eco-conscious homeowners.
Final Thoughts
Transforming your house into an eco-friendly space has a significant impact on improving our efforts to sustain the environment. One final tip: before investing in any renovation projects or devices, talk first to a sustainability consultant first to get more concrete ideas on the most effective changes you could make at your home.
Feature image: Pixabay; Image 1: Pille R. Priske
