We live in a time when the fate of the world around us is often talked about and wondered about. It’s clear that there are some things we can do, on our own, to make the world last a little longer. Though, most of the faults are to corporations who make big decisions that seem to really damage our world, we can attempt to make our day to day lives more eco friendly and decrease our impact on the planet in our own way. Today, we are going to look at some upgrades that can be made, in order to make your home more eco-friendly. Eco friendly options often also help save money, so that’s always a plus too!
Switch up your lighting
When it comes to lighting in your house, you can easily switch your lighting to be something a bit more eco friendly. LED Panel lights are a really popular and eco friendly option. Not only do the bulbs in LED lighting last longer, but the lights themselves are a much better option for the world. LEDs themselves are non-toxic, which means that they do not contain toxic elements that, when disposed of, will leak out into the environment. This is a big plus, as everything we do throw away ends up back in the Earth one way or another. The bulbs have a much longer lifespan, which means less waste in general, and there is less energy wasted with LED lighting too. LEDs tend to be up to 80 percent more energy efficient, meaning it converts most of it’s energy to light instead of to heat, having a better affect on the environment and helping to lower your monthly energy bill.
Glaze your windows
When it comes to windows, you do have options. Double glazing and even triple glazing on your windows can really help prevent loss of a homes energy. If you ensure that your windows are double or tripe glazed, you also won’t need to heat your house as much, as you won’t lose your heat – which can be a big plus for the greater environment. If you are re-doing your windows, you can also look into finding low emissivity glass, which have coatings to reflect heat back into your home, saving you on heating and keeping your house warm naturally! Ensure that all your windows do fit snug and don’t have gaps as well!
Upgrade your thermostats and heating systems
You probably do use heating in your home – I mean, everyone does. When it is cold out, you probably turn up the heat to keep warm. Much of your house, however, might be dead space where you physically aren’t when you are heating your house – so you should consider switching your thermostats to control individual areas in your home, so that you aren’t heating other rooms that don’t need heating. This is another step that can really cut down on your energy savings, as well as be better for the world itself, as you won’t be using energy needlessly. Heating is a high energy hog, so it’s important to look into it and plan accordingly!
Check your attic
Often, a lot of energy and heat is lost straight through an attic. You can find that your attic takes a lot to heat fully, and heat does rise. If you don’t already, you should consider installing insulation in your attic – something that you might even be able to do yourself. There are many different eco-friendly ways you can insulate your attic – blow in wool insulation or using recycled cotton denim insulation are great starts and will continue to save you money when it comes to your heating bills!
Get planting
When it comes to the outside of your home, you can continue to make a great impact. If you have a garden or front yard, consider planting some native plants. Keeping the plants native will often ensure they are low-effort and don’t require new soil or any fancy upkeep. Native plants will also be able to live off of the natural environment, not needing more watering and instead keeping themselves going with what comes from the sky. Native plants helps the bees and other insects in the area, which is a huge plus, and you can create a water catcher in your garden in order to top up and water any plants inside or help the ones outside if there is a dry spell. As an added bonus, flowers really make any outdoor space look beautiful too.