How To Create an Eco-Friendly and Energy Efficient Home

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We all need to do better when it comes to being more eco-friendly within our homes. 

One of the ways in which we can ensure that our homes become more eco-friendly is to ensure that we do our best to save as much energy as we can and reduce our carbon footprint. 

New build homes are already undertaking many steps to embrace an eco-friendly lifestyle, but older houses need to improve too. 

Whether you’re fully renovating your home or you’re just looking to make a few tweaks to become more environmentally friendly, here’s how you can create an eco-friendly home:

Use LED lighting

LED lighting has advanced so much in recent years and now LED lighting is available in pretty much every colour and style. LED bulbs are more energy efficient than halogen or fluorescent alternatives. LED lighting is a cheaper and greener alternative to traditional lighting and gives the same bright light as traditional lighting too.

 

LED panels are also a great energy saving option for homes. There are affordable options available to suit all budgets and the cost of LED panels will be more than worth it due to how much you will save on your energy bills. LED panels are not only designed to be economical, but they will also stand the test of time too as they will last a whole lot longer than traditional bulbs.

Insulate your loft/attic

Loft/Attic insulation isn’t a new way of making a home more eco-friendly and energy efficient, but a lot of homeowners still haven’t invested in it. Heat rises, so it makes sense to insulate your loft/attic with recycled or natural materials. 

 

You will recoup the costs of the initial investment in your energy bills within 2-3 years and your home will be a whole lot warmer when the colder months come by too. By insulating your loft/attic you're making your home a lot more energy-efficient, meaning you'll be using less heating, etc., making your home a whole lot more eco-friendly.

 

Reduce, reuse, recycle

Creating an eco-friendly home isn't just about spending money, it's also about embracing an eco-friendly lifestyle and being conscious of what energy your consuming and what carbon footprint you're leaving in the world.

 

Reduce your energy usage. Don't leave appliances on when you're not using them. Switch off lights when you don't need them. 

Reuse items when you can. Not everything needs to be brand new. You can make use of old furniture, upcycle it, change it to how you want to fit your decor. Buy pre-loved clothing and donate old clothing to reduce fabric waste - one of the most polluting wastes on our planet.

Having a separate bin for recycling. Recycle all that can be recycled - it's a small effort that can have a big impact on the world. Invest in a compost bin for food waste.

Change your heating

Sadly, wall radiators aren’t very energy efficient, even though every home seems to have them. For a better way to heat your home, try under floor heating. 

 

It may seem like a big job to change your heating systems to under floor, but it is actually rather straightforward to install under floor heating in an older home and your home will become a lot warmer, meaning you'll be using less energy.

 

Turn down the thermostat

By turning down your thermostat just by one degree , you could save yourself a lot of money per year, and the chances are that you won’t even notice it. 

This is such a simple thing to do, and very little effort, but the benefits really are great for running a more eco-friendly home.

Invest in double glazed windows

Single glazed windows let out so much heat, so investing in double glazed windows is a must to make sure your home is being kept warm and not letting in any draughts.

Replacing windows doesn't have to be a massive expensive either, there are plenty of affordable options available nowadays and some great deals to be had.

Invest in solar panels

A lot of homes nowadays are embracing how great solar panels can be and installing them to help with energy usage. Solar panels can be expensive to install, but you will make savings in the long term on your energy bills. 

 

I hope these tips have been useful to you in your efforts to create an eco-friendly home.