Making your home into an eco-friendly property is a great way to do your bit for the environment and cut down your carbon emissions. As an added bonus, it’s also an easy way to save money on your energy bills. If you want to make your home more energy-efficient, here are some steps to take, big and small, to make a difference.
Small, Everyday Changes
There are plenty of everyday changes you can make that could reduce your emissions and save on energy costs. These include:
Turn out the Lights
Every time you leave a room, make sure you turn the lights off. Leaving lights on when nobody is in the room is hugely wasteful, and you’ll be surprised how much difference it can make if everyone in your household simply remembers to switch off the lights when they go out.
If you’re struggling to remember to turn them off, consider using lights on a timer in corridors and hallways or installing motion sensors so that lights turn off automatically when nobody is in the room.
Unplug Electronics
On a similar note, you should make an effort to unplug your electronics when they’re not being used. Things like phone chargers are often left plugged in and switched on all the time, even when not attached to a cellphone.
They may not use vast quantities of energy, but every kilowatt adds up to make a big difference, and you should try to minimize waste here.
Save Your Bathwater
If you’re someone who likes to take baths regularly rather than showers, you could recycle your bathwater. Instead of pulling the plug and watching the water drain away, keep the bath full and leave a bucket in the bathroom. Instead of flushing the toilet, you could use a bucketful of bathwater to clear out the toilet.
If this is too much of a change for you, you could also use the bathwater to water plants in your garden.
Ditch the AC
Air-conditioning units use so much energy, and they’re often used just to maintain normal room temperature.
Save your AC for when it’s really hot, and in the meantime, open the windows and buy a couple of fans for your home. They’re cheap to buy and use far less power than an AC unit, so you’ll reduce energy use and cut down on energy costs, too.
Bigger Changes
If you already do these things or you want to make a bigger difference to your energy use, consider these bigger changes:
Replace the Roof
A poorly insulated roof or a roof with gaps and holes will allow hot air to seep out of your home, meaning more energy is needed to keep your property warm.
Replace or repair your roof with Wildwood Roofing and keep your home warmer for longer. It’s simple.
Install New Windows
Similarly, poor-quality or single-glazed windows will allow hot air to seep out of your home, so consider replacing your existing windows with double glazing. The difference could be enormous.
Whatever steps you take to make your home more energy-efficient, you can rest assured knowing that you’re playing an important role in minimizing climate change and global heating. Every little helps!