More people are committing to creating a cleaner environment for future generations by making small changes for a greener everyday life and an environmentally-friendly home.
If you ditched single-use cutlery and makeup wipes, you’re on the right way for a green life but with an environmentally-friendly home, your impact will be bigger.
Living sustainably has become more than a trend because people understand that the environment influences their overall well-being.
Why a Sustainable Home Is Better for You, the Environment and Your Wallet
Aside from health, a sustainable home opens several opportunities, including ways to reduce energy bills. Many homes can reduce their average annual electric cost of £769 to a lower figure if they adopt sustainable measures. These tips serve as a guide on how to go about this.
Sustainable Tip #1: Use More Energy-efficient Appliances and Lighting
There’s so much talk about energy-efficient appliances, but what do they offer? Information on this will provide the needed background to understand it better. Four decades ago, when more homes relied on electric-powered appliances to complete chores, people realised they consumed more energy. Therefore, finding lasting means to reduce household consumption became imperative. That led to increased research to find answers to what became a pertinent problem.
Renowned physicist Art Rosenfeld is credited as the godfather of energy efficiency. Through his findings, appliance manufacturers can create highly efficient home appliances that don’t skyrocket your energy bills. To create a sustainable home, consider choosing energy-efficient appliances with reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, this is incorporated into modern washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, and other household appliances. With your home lighting, it would help to invest in LED bulbs that consume 80% less energy.
Sustainable Tip #2: Harness Renewable Energy
Renewable energy sources like wind, water, and sunlight have gained impressive traction in the last two decades. For many years, fossil fuel has been the world’s go-to energy source, but from all indications, it hasn’t augured too well for the planet. Moreover, the need to reduce carbon footprints and over-reliance on fossil fuels has given rise to renewable energy sources. If more homes do the same, fossil-sourced energy would have less demand, which is excellent news for environmental health.
An increasingly popular form of renewable energy is solar. The conversion of sunlight into energy has become a preferred power source in homes. According to The Eco Experts website, over 1.3 million UK homes have solar panels installed. Many more households have also considered going off the grid to rely solely on solar energy. It explains why companies like All Seasons Energy make it a point to provide homes with this alternative power source.
Sustainable Tip #3: Use Zero or Low-VOC Paints
The concern about volatile organic compound paint is primarily due to their emitting fumes. VOC paints contain carbon, and the worry is the ability to vaporise at room temperature and reach the atmosphere causing great harm. If millions of households have used VOC paint, you can just imagine what’s happening to indoor and outdoor air quality. This is why there have been several calls for low-VOC paints to cut back on their harmful effects. If you plan to repaint or renovate your house, opting for zero or low-VOC paints would be a wiser and healthier choice. Admittedly, these safer paints are more expensive, but looking at the long-term costs and the health benefits for you and your family is priceless. Sometimes, what appears as cheap has hidden costs that transcend monetary value. You could say the same about Volatile Organic Compound paints.
Installing solar panels has considerable costs than opting for biodegradable household and personal products. However, with these three sustainable tips, you’ll not only secure a healthier living but you play a primary role in today’s ecological revolution.
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