Eco-friendly changes, even those that are small and inexpensive, can make a big difference in your home’s overall sustainability. Homeowners today are more aware of the environmental impact than ever before. If you can relate and want to make your home more sustainable and become more environmentally responsible as a homeowner, then you will want to read the following list on how to make your home more eco-friendly:
Unplug Unused Devices
One simple way to save electricity, especially vampire watts or phantom energy, is to unplug unused electronic devices. Even small devices, like cell phone chargers, use phantom energy. It’s common to simply leave these plugged in even when not using these devices. Changing this will save you money as the electric current still runs through the cable even when you aren’t charging your phone. Consider other items like small appliances, hairdryers, and more that can easily be unplugged when not in use to make a difference in your home’s overall energy consumption.
Upgrade to LED
Another easy change you can make that doesn’t require a great deal of upfront investment is upgrading your current light bulbs to the LED variety. Admittedly, this can cost you upfront somewhat, but once they are in place, LED bulbs use 75% less energy and can last up to 25 times longer when compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. This means that not only will you save money on your electricity costs, but you will also contribute less waste to your landfills by using fewer bulbs.
Save Water
Saving energy is important, but when you are considering making your home more eco-friendly, you also have to consider your home’s water usage. You can make some small changes to your water usage to make a difference in your home’s sustainability levels. Do less frequent loads of laundry by combining smaller loads. You can also shut off the faucet while you are brushing your teeth instead of letting it run throughout the process. Other changes you can make to your water use include fixing leaks, reducing your shower time (more on this later), and collecting rainwater in barrels for landscaping usage instead of watering your yard.
Embrace Native Landscaping
Native landscaping requires less maintenance, meaning that you can reduce the amount of water needed to keep your yard and landscaping healthy. Native plants also help local insects and wildlife thrive. Native choices also mean that you don’t have to use pesticides and fertilizers, which is beneficial overall for the environment.
Choosing Sustainable Items
When purchasing items for your home, always consider sustainable options. This includes reusable paper towels, rechargeable batteries, washable napkins, glass food containers instead of disposable plastic, and more. While you might have to pay a bit more upfront for these reusable items when compared to disposable or one-use items, your home will become immensely more sustainable and environmentally responsible when choosing reusable items.
Repair and Reuse When Possible
As you know, part of being a homeowner is having to fix or replace furniture or other household items. When you can repair items instead of replacing them, then do so. For example, have a chair repaired instead of throwing it out and replacing it. Also, incorporate a habit of recycling in your home to save cardboard, cans, and plastic. This will keep more unnecessary items out of landfills.
Add Window Treatments
Adding blinds and curtains is more than a fashionable way to improve your decor. It also has a great impact on your home’s energy usage. The right kind of window treatments can prevent heat loss in winter and help you keep your home cooler in the summer, reducing the amount of energy you have to spend to cool or heat your home. Also, make sure that you aren’t losing air around windows by adding weather stripping and caulk.
Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Understandably, you need products to clean your stove, kitchen, bathrooms, and more as a homeowner. However, when you are trying to transform your home into one that is more eco-friendly, one change you can make with a significant impact in altering the cleaning products you use. More traditional cleaning products are harsh and contain chemicals that can harm the environment as well as create issues for your own health and that of your family. Therefore, research cleaning products that are safe to use around people and pets and that come in biodegradable packaging to further reduce the impact your home has on the environment and landfills.
Consider a Smart Thermostat
Although this will require an initial investment when purchasing the smart, programmable thermostat, switching to this type of thermostat over your existing one will save you energy costs by reducing the amount of energy your home uses to regulate the interior temperature. A smart thermostat allows you to program the desired indoor temperature, regulating your temperature all day instead of moving it up and down. It also allows you to change the settings based on whether you will be home or not. Consequently, you could have it set to turn off when you are away from home or turn it down or up based on the seasons and the time of day. Smart thermostats feature software that works via Wi-Fi and allows you to remotely adjust settings in many cases.
Switch to Low-Flow Showerheads
Another way that you can save money and reduce your home’s overall impact on the environment by using less water is by switching your current showerhead out for a low-flow variety. Studies indicate that the average family will use 40 gallons of water a day, simply by showering. To counteract this wastefulness, you can upgrade your current showerhead to a low-flow one that reduces the amount of water used to no more than two gallons per minute. Taking shorter showers (as indicated above) can help increase the amount of water you can save even more.
Properly Insulate Your Home
Last but not least, when trying to make your house more sustainable and eco-friendly, consider upgrading your insulation. Adding insulation will prevent air leakage in either the summer or winter and help you keep your home’s interior temperature more comfortable without resorting to adjusting your thermostat. There are many options for insulation on the market today, but if you are aiming for sustainability and eco-friendliness, then opt for cotton over the more standard fiberglass and sheep’s wool options. There are also some innovative options like insulation made out of recycled paper and newsprint and cork oak trees to consider.
You Can Make a Difference
Thankfully, you can make small, inexpensive changes that make a big difference in your home’s overall sustainability and eco-friendliness. If you can’t make all these changes, embrace the ones you can and work towards the others as together, we seek to make the world a better place.
Ashley Nielsen
Ashley Nielsen earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration Marketing at Point Loma Nazarene University. She is a freelance writer who loves to share knowledge about general business, marketing, lifestyle, wellness, and financial tips. During her free time, she enjoys being outside, staying active, reading a book, or diving deep into her favorite music.
