No matter the reason, developing an eco friendly home is a sure way to feel good about your environmental impact – and to live more consciously. Click to learn. More people than ever are starting to see that the climate is changing. We’re experiencing more extreme weather events than ever. That’s why 85% of people have said they want to live in eco-friendly homes.
Luckily, there are many things you can do to create the eco-friendly home you dream of. Follow the eight tips below to make an eco-friendly house you can live in with pride.
1. Upgrade Your Light Bulbs
Light bulbs will make up more energy usage than you think if you aren’t careful. Old bulbs aren’t efficient and die often. That means you’re using way more power than necessary and spending too much money on replacement bulbs.
You’re better off purchasing newer LED bulbs. These bulbs are efficient and last a long time. You will pay more initially, but you’ll save money on your power bill and replacements in the long run. On top of that, many LED bulbs are smart and offer different lighting options to help create unique lighting in your home.
2. Use Smart Thermostats
Do you have times during the day when nobody is at home? This will happen if you have a job and kids at school. You’ll have parts of the day when nobody is regularly home because they have things to do during the day.
The problem is that most people leave their home’s climate at a comfortable temperature during that time. It’s hard to remember to change your thermostat every day.
Using a smart thermostat will solve this problem. You can program a smart thermostat to change your home’s temperature depending on the time. Doing this will reduce your power bill because you won’t run your HVAC system as much when people aren’t home.
3. Use Efficient Appliances
Appliances haven’t always been efficient at energy usage. There weren’t standards around that helped manufacturers understand the best way to design their products. That’s not the case today. The Energy Star guidelines offer appliance companies guidelines that help create efficient appliances. If you follow those rules, you get an Energy Star certification.
Look for this certification when you’re shopping for replacement appliances. You may not be able to replace everything immediately, but it will reduce the power you use over time.
4. Use a Tankless Water Heater
Most homes don’t need hot water available in several locations at once. They only need it on-demand in one area at a time. Unfortunately, that’s not how traditional water heaters work. A traditional water heater keeps water hot at all times. That means you’re spending energy to keep your water heated.
A tankless water heater doesn’t do this. It heats water on-demand, so you won’t spend energy keeping your water hot when you don’t need any.
5. Treat Your Windows in Doors
Doors and windows work great at helping maintain your home’s climate when you first install them. However, they will degrade over time as the framing develops cracks and lets in more of the elements.
It’s harder to maintain a climate when this happens. However, you can apply treatments to your doors and windows that reduce the impact of degradation. Apply sealing material to problem areas and install weather strips that reduce the cracks around your doors and windows that let air in and out of your home.
6. Improve Your Insulation
Insulation is another one of those things that helps maintain your home’s climate. It’s material that stops cool and warm air from leaving your home. Your insulation will work great when it first gets installed in your ceilings and walls, but it may break down over time.
However, you can redo your insulation at a later date to make sure it still works well. On top of that, you may not be using the best insulation available. Upgrading your insulation can increase its effectiveness and make it easier to maintain your home’s climate.
7. Investigate Solar Panels
Solar panels are one of the more expensive ways you can build a conscious home, but it’s still one of the best. The price of panels is lower than ever, so you can get a payoff period of five to 10 years for your panels.
Going solar means you don’t have to rely on the grid for power. You’ll use green energy to power your home, drastically reducing your environmental impact. Talk to a local solar installer to discover your actual cost of going solar and if it’s worth including when you build an environmentally friendly house.
9. Use a Low-Flow Toilet
Power isn’t the only thing you need to worry about if you want an environmentally friendly home. Water usage is becoming more important as many parts of the world are now experiencing droughts. You need to conserve as much water as possible.
A great way to do this is using a low-flow toilet. A low-flow toilet will drastically reduce the amount of water your home uses. They aren’t that expensive, either. Compare the average water usage of these toilets with your current ones to see how much you can expect to save on your monthly water bill.
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Start Working on Your Eco-Friendly Home Today
There is a lot to worry about when it comes to the environment today, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do to do your part to help. You can invest in many home improvements that reduce your energy usage and produce less waste. Use the tips above to start creating an eco-friendly home.
Do you want to learn more home improvement tips that will help you create a more appealing home? See what projects you can take on by checking out the blog.