6 Ways To Make Your Home More Energy Efficient ♥

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Being eco-friendly and energy efficient is something I've very passionate about. I've shared on the blog before about the ways to teach kids about energy saving at home and I think these are things that all parents should put into practice. Because, not only does it help save on the bills, but it gives children the knowledge on how to be more energy efficient in the future.

Invest in new windows
This is something I've noticed a lot of my neighbours doing this winter and it's something which I'll definitely be doing when we buy our own home. Getting replacement windows will ensure that your home will be better insulated - meaning it'll be a lot warmer too.

New windows ensure that there are no draughts, unlike old windows that could be ill-fitted. This will save you lots of money on your heating bills as no heat will be escaping through drafts in the windows.

Maintain your heating system
Living in a cooler climate country, having an energy efficient home is a must. From autumn until spring our heating is on and we need to make sure that the house is being heated up properly and retaining heat too - not only so that we're kept warm, but also so that house doesn't get damp.

Having your boiler serviced each year will make sure that it's working correctly and not wasting your money whilst giving out less heat. Also take time to bleed your radiators and if you use an open fire, make sure the chimney is swept and ready for use.

Start a compost pile
This is such an easy thing to do, but something that can really help towards reducing your household waste. Good quality compost bins (that rats, etc. can't get into) can be bought for €150 and can take all of your fruit and vegetable waste, which in time will decompose to make a great fertiliser for your lawn.

This is a great thing to do to reduce the food waste coming from your home and is fantastic for people who love to garden - a great and valuable fertiliser for nothing!

Switch off and unplug
This is something that we've put into practice the last few years in our home and it's really helped to save us money on our energy bills. We unplug and switch everything off that we're not using, meaning that electricity isn't being wasted by having the TV, etc. on standby.

Everything in our house gets unplugged at night - the kettle, the TV, the microwave, etc. and it just helps us to ensure we're not wasting energy when it's not needed. It took awhile for me to get into the habit of this, but now I just do it without even thinking and have the kids getting into this mindset too.

Make sure your house is properly insulated
This is a key one when it comes to making your home more energy efficient as so often, people may not even know that their home is wasting energy by something which can be easily fixed.

Usually, in a lot of homes, the attic isn't properly insulated, meaning heat is being lost out through the roof. By investing in some good quality insulation - or by getting someone to insulate the attic properly, your home can become warmer and more energy-efficient. Again, saving you money on your home heating bills.

Switch to LED bulbs
Every bulb in our house is LED. This has helped to make our home a lot more energy efficient and has saved us money on our electricity bills too. LED light bulbs aren't expensive either, you can pick up great quality ones from as little as €1.50 in your local discount store.

Have you made steps to make your home more energy efficient?