Ways To Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly

Help the environment and save money with these tips for your home

Image courtesy of xedos4 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

​People are starting to become more environmentally-conscious. Then again, the growing concern for the environment is understandable. After all, global warming is starting to impact many. Some areas are becoming hotter and dryer while other areas are impacted by more frequent and more severe storms.

But being environmentally conscious isn’t only about helping our planet, it’s also about helping our pockets. Home energy bills are rising, and they are only going to increase further – especially if we have hotter summers. Wouldn’t we all like to cut our household energy bills?

But there are other benefits, building smart houses often means that we have cooler more livable homes in the heat of summer and warmer houses in winter. Who wouldn’t want a more comfortable home?

Since more people are demanding eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable homes, designing and building a home with these features will make it more appealing to buyers in the future should you decide to sell your home.

So, the best place to start being more conscious about the environment is our very own homes. Let’s take a look at what you can do to have a home that’s friendlier to the environment.

Go for solar power
Admittedly, installing solar panels requires a more significant investment than most people are comfortable with. But the sun will always be the best source of free and clean energy we’ll have. And while it can be expensive to install, powering your home with sunlight will be much cheaper in the long run. It will also help reduce your dependence on fossil fuels, which is already a huge favor for the environment. Adding battery storage (which is becoming cheaper) will allow you to become totally independent from utility providers.

Use nothing but LED light bulbs
LED light bulbs use up to 75% less electricity. And they also last for many years, unlike incandescent bulbs that are very inefficient and have much shorter lives.

Add skylights
Even when you’re using LED light bulbs you’re still using electricity to power them. If the sun is up, why use light bulbs to illuminate your interiors when you can let sunlight into your home via skylights? Aside from its apparent eco-friendliness, installing skylights also brings a myriad of health benefits, as sunlight can help us sleep better and boost our body’s production of Vitamin D as well.

Water-efficient plumbing
We live in a world where manufacturers are doing their best to design products that are more eco-friendly. The plumbing products industry, for example, is now selling everything from water-efficient shower-heads to toilets that use a lot less water than older models. Installing these products in your home will help minimise water wastage and reduce water bills without impacting how you live. Many people live in water scarce areas and water is becoming a valuable product which needs to be saved and protected.

Houseplants
The air quality in your home is a good indicator of how eco-friendly your home is. For cleaner indoor air, you might want to put houseplants inside. They filter the air and provide additional oxygen as well.

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Use only sustainable materials
Sustainable materials are the way to go if you’re building or remodeling your home. Green materials like bamboo and cork, for example, would be suitable for your flooring. It would also be great if you use solvent-free natural products which are less harmful to your family and the environment. 

Buy energy-efficient appliances
The single biggest indicator that you’re buying an energy-efficient appliance is the "Energy Star" logo. AC units, refrigerators, and other home appliances that bear that mark use 10 to 50 percent less electricity than those without the logo. ​

Conclusion - building eco-friendly homes

Whenever we do something eco-friendly, we aren’t just helping the planet, but we are often helping our family by creating a more liveable home, and of course we are also helping our pockets by cutting our utility bills. So why not become friendlier to the environment, starting inside our homes.
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About The Author
Victoria Grace is the Content Specialist for Nucleus Construction, a Phoenix-based company that specialises in remodeling and building custom homes. When not writing, she enjoys reading books and riding her motorcycle.

For more valuable home design tips and advice read: 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volume 1 Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home' and'Volume 2 Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home'

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