How can your home help the environment? It’s easier than you might think to make your home a part of positive change. More than ever before, the need for addressing environmental issues is becoming critically important. We can’t look at the news without seeing segments about pollution, the depletion of natural resources, and the devastating effects of climate change like wildfires and severe storms.
Climate change and pollution are subjects that have been apparent for years, but only recently are people beginning to become more mindful of them. This may have led you to wonder, how can I make my home more eco-friendly? You want a home that’s healthy to live in, is cost-effective, pollutes less, and leaves a smaller carbon footprint in the community. There are many opportunities for us to make our homes more energy-efficient and more eco-friendly.
If you want to make your home more environmentally efficient, or you’d like a house that doesn’t drain your bank account, here are a few ways you can make that happen today.
Light Bulbs
When you switch out your old incandescent light bulbs to LED bulbs you’re taking a simple but valuable step towards conserving more energy. They last so much longer than traditional bulbs and use considerably less electricity. This will save you trips to the store to replace dead bulbs all the time. It also saves you on other resources such as packaging. Plus, it’ll save you the painstaking task of always having to change burned-out light bulbs in your house. Over time, LED bulbs have become more versatile and more affordable. You’ll feel good knowing you’re improving the environment with your LED bulbs using less energy. These savings will also reflect in your monthly electric bill.
A Compost Pile
There’s a myriad of benefits associated with composting your waste. Composting reduces your need for chemical fertilizers, suppresses plant disease and pests, and helps retain moisture, which in turn will enrich the soil in your garden. Your yard waste and scraps of produce will help generate healthy soil that will make your vegetable garden and flower bed grow healthier and greener! With food waste becoming a growing problem for our landfills, this is also an important step in reducing the amount of waste your family contributes.
Recycle and Reuse
We’ve all been guilty of using some object in our home and then throwing it in the trash after one use. It could be a broken or worn-out piece of furniture or something as simple as a paper bag you got from the grocery store. These items and any old appliances don’t need to end up in a landfill just because they’re taking up space in your home. Reach out to your local sanitation or waste removal company and find out what can be collected at the curb, and what you can take to the scrapyard for recycling! Try reusing plastic bags or water bottles to extend the life of the plastic.
Window Treatments
Curtains and blinds provide style and privacy but they also save energy in your home. Do some research before you buy new window treatments because you’ll want the type that helps deflect the sun’s rays in summer and prevent heat loss during the winter months. Once you’ve figured out how to make your windows draft-proof, it’s good to have two layers of curtains on your windows. Good insulation is all about creating a gap of dead air space. The more layers you have near your windows, the less likely air can move and cause drafts. Having well-fitted curtains and blinds will serve as insulation on your home and save you on your heating and cooling bills at a fraction of the cost of window replacements.
Improve How You Use Appliances
Yes, it’s one of those spring cleaning chores we all dread, but get motivated by thinking of it being a step to help the environment. Most of the work the motor does in your freezer and refrigerator is to remove the heat from the air inside. Less air… less energy used. So if your fridge is full of food and beverages the motor doesn’t have to work as hard. That translates to a longer life for your appliance and more energy efficiency. Approximately three-quarters full is the most energy-efficient, the motor needs a bit of space to circulate air.
Dishwashers use a lot of water, so only run it when it reaches capacity. This way, you won’t run the dishwasher as often. But you may want to run the dishwasher occasionally when it’s empty and without any soap. This will allow the appliance to rinse away any residue or grime that’s built up inside the unit from detergents. These cleaning cycles can be offset by your more efficient use of the machine. You can also apply this practice to your washing machine.
Smart Thermostat Choices
If you forget to turn down your heat when you go to bed or before you go to bed, a programmable thermostat may be the solution. Why have to remember to not heat or cool an empty house if you don’t have to? There are several different kinds of programmable thermostats, but they all do the same job. You set up the thermostat to adjust the temperature and it does all the work. This will save on power and lower your electricity bills.
Solar Energy
Switching to solar is a great way to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and help reduce your traditional electricity use. Solar systems have become more affordable, last longer, and have become more efficient over the years. It’s also nice to have steady power from the most reliable source… the sun! Adding a solar system to your home is one of the best ways to make your home greener and reduce your carbon footprint, all the while cutting your electric bill.
If you’d like to learn more about how you can make your home more energy efficient by adding solar power, reach out to the experts at Steel City Solar. You can call us at 719-569-5166 and chat with one of our friendly professionals about getting a free estimate or fill out our online form.
