10 Top Tips For Making Your Home More Eco Friendly
Here are some tips for making your home more eco friendly:
- Cut your electricity bills by switching over to low energy LED light bulbs. They'll save you money and won't need changing almost ever – well every 50,000 hours or so!
- The summer months are a great time to fit draught excluders to doors, windows, and even unused chimneys. It's a cheap and easy DIY job but makes an enormous change to your home come winter – draughts account for 15% of your homes heat loss.
- Start a compost heap. Now you're back out in the garden there will be lots of green waste to start feeding it with, plus you can also include kitchen waste and cardboard such as toilet roll tubes. Keep a compost caddy and by this time next year you'll have lots of lovely fertiliser to feed your flowers, fruit and veg with.
- Think about all the places you throw stuff away from – people often forget about all the recyclable materials that come from the bathroom such as shampoo bottles and toilet roll tubes, so why not put a separate recycling bin in there too.
- Cutting down on hot water use can save you in three ways as we pay to buy, heat and dispose of it. Fitting and an aerated shower head and using a shower timer will literally save you gallons every day, not to mention the reduced energy costs.
- Natural light is psychologically uplifting and can help you cut down on energy bills. Make the most of this free renewable energy source by fully opening curtains every day, keeping windows free of obstructions and bouncing light off white painted window sills.
- Plants not only look good, they also keep your home healthy too. Ferns, ivy, spider plants and mother-in-law's tongue all absorb CO2 and a variety of toxins in the home.
- It's often the small actions that make a change like choosing to buy better. Look out for products that contain recycled materials and that are easily recyclable. You'll find the same great quality but with environmental thinking built in from the outset like Andrex Eco toilet paper.
- Homes filled with new furniture and fittings can often feel a little impersonal. Divert usable old or worn out products from waste and find items to upcycle for your home. Vintage or upcycled items add character, identity and style, making your home that little bit more unique.
- Sharing things feels good and saves you money. There are lots of ways that communities can make big changes and benefit you – whether it's borrowing more from local libraries, giving away unwanted items on Freecycle or joining other online community groups to access with local skills, products or activities.
Source lovechicliving
