When it comes to looking after our environment, it starts with how we make our home more energy-efficient. As individuals, we all have varying levels of impact on our surroundings and what we do in our homes on a daily basis can certainly affect that. So if you’re looking into how you can make your home more energy-efficient, then read on.
Lower Your Heating
Throughout the year we rely on heating to heat up our water so we can have pleasant showers and baths but also to heat up our rooms and to make those winter nights, a lot more comfortable. However, we can certainly take advantage of our heating and will often use it way too often, which is not only wasting your money, but it’s also causing more problems for the environment. A lot of people will likely suggest you turn it on low for a long period of time to save money and energy, but this is still going to waste more energy than you’d probably use if you didn’t have it on all the time. So when you have your heating on keep it on a low setting so that it’s merely taking the chill off the room and don’t have it on for any longer than a couple of hours.
Recycle As Much As You Can
Recycling is definitely making a huge impact on our environment because the more we reuse and recycle, the less waste we’re using up individually. A lot of our packaging for food and various other products that we buy for the household now come from recycled materials or can be recycled. You should make a conscious effort to think about what you’re buying too and bringing back from shops to your home and whether they can be recycled or not. By doing this, you are lowering the amount of packaging that you’re simply just throwing away to end up on some landfill site. Check all packaging carefully as some areas of where you live are likely to be different to others in what is allowed or not allowed to be recycled.
Reupholster Old Furniture
Furniture can last forever if you purchase quality rather than something that’s cheap and affordable because it’s never going to last as long. Of course, all furniture over time will become worn and broken. However, there’s enough information online, in books and through other people’s knowledge to be able to reupholster old furniture yourself. When assessing the furniture to see if this is possible, you want to look at the structure of the furniture, rather than the soft furnishings as these can easily be replaced. If the structure is compromised, then there’s likely not going to be much point in spending the money on a reupholster
Replace Windows And Doors
Windows and doors provide security for your home, but they also dictate how much energy is used within the home. If you have thin doors and single glazed windows, you’ll likely have the heating on for longer to cater for the amount of heat loss. So to save yourself money and the environment, replace any windows and doors with ones that are better able to keep the heat in. Energy efficient french doors are both stylish and durable, so think about getting these for the external doors on the property.
Turn Off Appliances When Not In Use
We’re all guilty of leaving plugs on and various appliances on when we’re not using them. But how much energy could you be wasting by doing that throughout your entire property. There are plenty of monitors that you can get nowadays to track how much each of your household appliances are using in regards to energy. From your TV channel box to the laundry machine, being able to see the actual numbers of what’s being used can certainly make you more conscious of what you are using and going to more effort to reduce that amount of usage. It’s common to be surprised by certain appliances have a lot more energy use than you would expect so it’s certainly worth getting yourself an energy monitor.
Lower Your Shower Head Flow
A lot of us will often leave the tap running when brushing our teeth and we may also go overboard with the number of times we wash clothes, dishes and run baths. These are all contributing to the amount of water used per household, and again, this has an impact on the environment. However, there are plenty of ways to reduce the amount of water you use. Firstly, by lowering the shower head flow, you are effectively using fewer gallons of water per shower. Try to avoid taking baths where possible, and opt for showers instead. If you enjoy a bath, you can limit this to a certain amount per month. Stop the tap whilst brushing your teeth so that you’re not wasting water. Do heavier loads on your dishwasher and washing machine and try to be careful that you’re not throwing tops and trousers into the wash after just one wash. Many items of clothing may be worn a few times before needing to be cleaned. As long as they get the smell check, have no stains, and hung back into the wardrobe, they’ll be fine.
Making your home more energy efficient is definitely something you should be doing and be responsible for when it comes to the rest of your household. Encourage everyone to have more care for the environment and help them to understand how it impacts the world around them. Lower the heating when used and turn off any appliances that might be draining energy levels at a high rate. Recycle as much as you are able and reupholster old furniture to save on money and having to throw good, quality furniture away. Replace any windows and doors and take steps to use less water in your home. With these tips, you’ll certainly make a lot of improvements to the environment in a positive way.
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