A green home is not just energy-efficient, it’s also supposed to help you save money down the line. A home with a reduced carbon footprint is also one that costs less to maintain. On that note, here are four tips that will help make you’re a better and more eco-friendly place to live in.
Improve Insulation
Insulation is something that the builder should ensure at the time of the building’s construction, but there is no guarantee that they have actually done that. Ideally, you should call for a professional inspection to see how the insulation of your home is holding up and if it can be improved considerably. Even if a home renovation project is not possible for now, there are smaller, much less expensive steps that you can take instead. For example:
- Double glazed windows can completely eliminate the age-old issue of heat escaping via conduction through the windowpanes
- Sealant tapes can be used to seal gaps that exist between the window and the wall, in the attic, around ventilation pipes
- White cement and sealants can be used to seal smaller holes and gaps in the structure, especially the deep ones
Invest in Energy-Efficient Electronic Home Appliances
There is ample opportunity to reduce your monthly electricity bills by upgrading to newer, more energy-efficient electronic home appliances. If you have an old washing machine, blender, fridge, electric/microwave oven, boiler, AC, vacuum cleaner, or any other appliance at home that could use an upgrade, pay attention to the energy star ratings while buying a new one. Even though 5-Star rated appliances cost more initially, that cost difference will soon be more than paid for by the amount of money you will be saving in electricity bills per month.
Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Electronic Devices
Even home appliances can be electronic devices and most of them are nowadays, but that is not a requirement. For example, your gas stove is also a home appliance, but it’s not an electronic device. However, desktops, laptops, smartphones, routers, entertainment systems, etc., are not classified as home appliances and they all need electricity to run.
For most people, their computers are the most power-hungry electronic devices they own, barring only a few home appliances. Unless you are very serious about gaming in ultra-settings, switch/upgrade to a laptop that can match energy efficiency with top notch performance seamlessly. This is made possible by the latest Intel APUs that come with energy-efficient and performance-oriented graphics cores. To understand how powerful these energy-efficient CPU + iGPUs can be, go through this post about the Intel Arc GPU at Lenovo.
Greenery for the Green Home
Indoor plants can purify the air inside, keeping the indoor environment healthy. There is also proof of stress relief associated with the presence of indoor plants because, deep inside, we all love greenery. Also, you just cannot have a green home that doesn’t have any greenery in it! For best results, the following five indoor plants come highly recommended for homes in the UK:
- Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
- Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior)
- Tailflower plant (Anthurium scherzeranum)
- Peace lily plant (Spathiphyllum wallisii)
- Aloe vera plant (Aloe barbadensis Miller)
Just be careful with allergenic plant species if you have a history of botanical allergies. Most indoor plants are hypoallergenic, but you should never buy anything that you don’t recognise.