No man or woman is an island. Everyone’s connected to this large green-and-blue planet; therefore, we have the duty and responsibility to be more conscientious about protecting it. Here are many different ways that you can have an eco-friendlier home and help save the environment.
Run on Solar
While the earth’s supply of other natural resources and fossil fuels are diminishing, the sun’s light will never go away. Furthermore, while wind and water turbines work as other forms of renewable resources, they can be dangerous for animals like birds and fish. On the other hand, solar panels are absolutely harmless. Solar energy really is your most environmentally friendly option. Plus, solar panels will eventually pay for themselves as your energy bill decreases.
A lot of people are hesitant to get solar panels because they are worried about their energy supply on cloudy days or during the night. However, there really is no need to worry as long as you are connected to the solar grid, which stores the excess energy during sunny days for your use later.
Install Efficient Water Heaters
Did you know that your conventional gas water heater is only working on 50% efficiency? Yeah—not good. Not only are you losing money, but you are wasting energy—energy that is not renewable. Replacing your water heater with an electric resistance water heater is an expense worth making if you want to help save the environment and your budget.
Smart Thermostats
Thanks to recent technological innovation, people can finally make more environmentally friendly decisions—like installing smart thermostats in their home. With smart thermostats, you can better control your home’s heating and cooling, all from your mobile device. You forgot to turn off the air conditioner before hitting the gym? No problem! You can turn it off with your smartphone.
You can also better monitor your heating and cooling use; your smart thermostat quickly learns your household’s heating and cooling patterns which allows it to adjust the thermostat accordingly. Basically, your thermostat stays alert, so you don’t have to.
Use Natural Light
Using natural light more often throughout the day has so many different benefits—both for you and the environment. Natural light is not only healthier for your health, but it also keeps you from wasting unnecessary electricity. During the winter, you can also take advantage of the natural light to help you heat your home and keep your heater from working on overtime.
If you don’t get adequate light from the windows you already have, you should consider installing bigger windows or more of them throughout the house. This renovation project may seem pricey, but it will increase the value of your home, keep your family healthy, and allow you to give back to the environment.
Custom Build Your Home
If you are looking to purchase a more environmentally friendly home, you may want to consider just custom building your home instead. Custom building a home will give you ultimate control over the home’s design and the materials you use. For example, try to find a company that will use recycled or local materials so that the building process can be more eco-friendly. Furthermore, home builders can use custom home designs to maximize your home’s energy efficiency.
When building your eco-friendly home, think about orienting your home in a way that best takes advantage of the wind and sunlight for renewable energy resources. Make sure that everything is adequately insulated so that you can maximize energy efficiency.
Plant a Garden
It is so easy these days to run to the store, bag a couple produce items, and be on your way. But did you ever consider the amount of energy, fuel, and water used to plant, ship, transport, and store the produce at the supermarket? If you want to cook more environmentally friendly, a garden is what you need. Not to mention, gardening is therapeutic and gives you the most delicious, fresh ingredients.
If you are worried that you don’t have enough space for a garden, there are so many options for a smaller yard or even an apartment. Grow your garden vertically with wall mounts and hanging plants, or even tiered plant beds. A garden is for everyone!
Compost
Along with the garden, another environmentally friendly addition to your home should be a composter. Instead of throwing your coffee grounds, eggshells, or vegetable skins into the dumpster to eventually fill up your local landfill, place them in your composter. If you keep everything moist, your homemade compost should be ready in about three months—a perfect, organic, eco-friendly fertilizer!
Light Bulbs
Unfortunately, you don’t have natural light 24/7—especially during stormy or winter days. That’s why you should invest in energy efficient light bulbs for all of your light fixtures. Doing so can reduce your energy usage by up to 85 percent! The best options for energy efficient light bulbs are compact fluorescent bulbs or LED bulbs. Switching out your lightbulbs may also be one of the cheapest ways you can make your home eco-friendlier. So, head to your nearest hardware store today and make a difference for the environment by switching out your bulbs.
Keep it Clean
Did you know that keeping your house clean is actually an eco-friendly decision as well? This is especially the case when it comes to using natural cleaning products. While water treatment plants do a pretty good job filtering out all the gunk, they struggle to remove harmful chemicals that tend to seep into the water supply—and yes, these chemicals often come from the convention cleaners most people use daily.
So, instead of using conventional cleaners, try using natural cleaning products on your home. Doing so will not only benefit the earth’s water supply (and all the little critters that live in it), but it will result in purer air, sustainable cleaning methods, better health, and a happier planet.
Everyone has a responsibility to do what they can to reduce their carbon footprint and help protect the planet. So, what are you going to do as a homeowner to fulfil that duty to the Earth? Hopefully, this list of ideas will give you plenty of inspiration.
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