How to Make Your House More Eco-Friendly

Do you want a more environmentally friendly house, but also want to save money on your energy and even food bills? Without necessarily embarking on major works, there are simple steps, and small investments that will make your home more ecological. Being eco-friendly means finding ways to reduce the impact you have on the environment.

With new studies suggesting that the harmful effects of climate change are close to being irreversible, it’s time we all found ways to be more eco-friendly.

The green attitude starts at home: being environmentally friendly also means adopting simple reflexes in our daily lives. Food, the fight against waste, waste sorting, organic cleaning products, organic care and hygiene products, etc. are all simple steps to take in our daily lives.

With that in mind, we’ve written this article to share how to make your house more eco-friendly.

1. Use renewable energy

Investing in renewables can be expensive at first but is well worth it over the long term. Many people are put off using renewables, thinking that the set-up process is too difficult. Yet it isn’t as complicated as you might think.

For example, you can hire professionals to help you with solar panel installation. Once installed, they require less maintenance than you’d think. You’ll then have the potential to significantly improve your property’s ongoing energy consumption and save money on energy bills.

While these alterations carry more initial expenditure, you can get help managing these costs through government incentives such as the Green Deal.

2. Make energy efficiency improvements

Your carbon footprint is closely connected with your home’s energy efficiency. The more heat your home uses, the more emissions are released.

Try implementing some of the following changes to improve your home’s energy efficiency:

• Switch to LED lighting: This type of bulb is far more energy efficient than older types of lighting. Thanks to this, they can also save you money over the long term.
• Install roof, wall and floor insulation: This is a relatively inexpensive change to make and can make a huge difference in how much heat your home loses.
• Invest in double or triple-glazed windows: Older properties stand to benefit the most from this modern type of window, which reduces heat loss far more effectively.
• Upgrade your household appliances: Outdated appliances are far less energy efficient than newer models, which are designed with energy efficiency in mind. So, by upgrading to more recent models, you can how much energy your home is using.

Individually, these changes can go a long way to improving your home’s energy efficiency. But by using them in combination, you can truly make a dent in your carbon footprint.

3. Reuse and recycle

Sweden is the leading country for recycling, with only 1% of its waste going to landfill since 2011. This is largely due to the Swedish ‘miljönär-vänlig’ mentality, a play on the words ‘environment’ and ‘millionaire’, which suggests to people that they can save money and preserve the environment through simple reflexes: borrow and recycle. Apply this philosophy to everyday life by repairing damaged clothes rather than buying new ones, or by organising a dress sale with your friends.

Instead of buying brand new items for your house, take every opportunity you get to put preloved items back to good use.

For example, you can look for decorations and ornaments from thrift shops before you go to a large retailer. Alternatively, you can search for used furniture on auction sites such as eBay before buying a brand-new piece from a big department store.

How are you trying to reduce your impact on the environment?