One of the most talked about topics right now is our environment and what we can do to help it. If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that mother earth is more robust than all of us put together, and we need to play on its side, not against it. There are so many ways you can make your home more energy-efficient and kinder to the environment. We picked out our top seven ways to green your home and become more energy efficient.
- Compost
What to do with all of those food scraps you keep putting in the bin? Invest in compost, and you’ll never look back. A compost bin will help you eliminate all of those leftovers, not to mention giving you free fertiliser for your garden, creating a little circular economy in your home. Compost bins these days are neat and odour-free. If you’re in a house, you can put a small compost bin on your kitchen top and take it out to the compost once it is full. If you’re in an apartment, consider joining forces with your neighbours and getting a compost bin together.
- Edible Garden
What to do with your new free fertilizer? Create an edible garden! Edible gardens are not just a fun thing you can do with your family, but they’ll also save you a tonne of money on buying herbs and vegetables.
- Use eco-cleaning products in your home
Natural cleaning products are just as effective as regular cleaning products, they just don’t contain harmful chemicals, and are a lot kinder on our environment. A lot of us tend to lean towards the ‘non environmental’ products because they are cheaper, however consider making the products at home. Simply get a used bottle, or you can buy them from https://aromabottles.com.au and make your own products using vinegar, water and essential oils. They also smell a lot nicer, and give your home a beautiful feel.
- Wash your clothes in cold water
This is an easy one. According to a number of sources, 90% of the energy used by your washer is used to heat the water, and the other 10% is used to run the machine. Consider putting your wash on a cold or warm wash (30- 40 degrees). You might find this is even better for your clothes.
- Swap regular light bulbs for LED bulbs
Investing in energy efficient light bulbs will make a huge difference. By using LED bulbs you will use less electricity, and you will also make your home more environmentally friendly. LED light bulbs also last longer, are eco-friendly and will save you money in the long run.
- Solar
If you want to take energy efficiency to the next level, consider installing solar panels onto your roof. The biggest advantage of solar is they produce zero carbon emissions once they’ve been manufactured, alongside majorly lowering your power bills, which lets face it, is a huge plus!
- Consider a green roof
Wanting to take greening your home to the next level, and have an even greater impact on the environment? Consider a green roof. Although the installation of a green roof will usually involve a bigger upfront cost, there are a bunch of economic benefits that can make up for this, and will save you money in the longrun. Green roofs naturally insulate a building, so there is less need for heating and cooling your home, thus reducing your energy costs and bills. Green roofs also increase the roof life expectancy by 2-3 times longer, and will save you costs on maintenance. Alongside this, they reduce stormwater runoff, reduce the city “heat island” effect, improve air quality, reduce noise and energy demand, provide a green space for habitat, and the list goes on.
