9 Easy Ways To Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly

Making your home more eco-friendly can only ever be a good thing. We need to look after our planet, and it is our responsibility to make the that are changes required ourselves. Here are 9 easy (and cost-effective) ways to make your home greener, without making compromises. Not only will the environment thank you, but your monthly bills might be a bit friendlier as well!

Replace Light Bulbs

Energy efficient light bulbs are an easy and cheap way of saving energy and money. While they are slightly more expensive to purchase, they last much longer than normal light bulbs, making them more cost-effective in the long run and much more eco-friendly.

Unplug

Almost all appliances can be turned off at the plug, so whether it’s the television or the kettle, avoiding leavings things on standby can save energy and money.

Turn Off the Tap

Turning off taps when not using them is also a simple way of making your home more eco-friendly. Don’t leave them running when brushing your teeth, and only using the amount that you need in your kettle. Water efficient shower heads are also available and products that make your toilet use less water per flush. Not only does this help the environment, but it will cut down on metered water bills.

Wash at 30

More washing products and companies are promoting the benefits of washing at a lower temperature now. It is just as efficient as washing at a higher temperature, but saves energy and is gentler on your clothing. Try a product specifically for this and turn the temperature down.

Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

There are loads of cleaning products and supplies now they are organic and safer for the environment. Whether you are buying products yourself or using home cleaning services, try to use ones which are free of chemicals and are non-toxic.

Install A Water Butt

A water butt can be really useful and efficient in saving water usage, especially if you live in an area with heavy rainfall. This water can be used to water plants and clean outside spaces, cutting down on costs.

Insulate Your Home

Insulating your home is another easy and obvious solution for making your house more eco-friendly. You can try it yourself; the supplies are easy to purchase, or call a company in to do the work for you. Heating bills will be cut in the cooler months, saving energy and costs.

Energy Efficient Appliances

While you don’t need to go out and purchase all new things for your home, when it comes to replacing older products check the labels for their energy efficiency. Kettles, microwaves, hoovers and TV’s are all available in a range of energy efficiency. So, while some are more expensive, they could save you in the long run.

Recycle

Recycling is something we can all do to help the environment. Check local authorities for what they take and when, and set up a system for sorting your trash. If you have a big clear out, taking materials to tips and dumping grounds, and make sure they’re all disposed of safely and correctly. If you’re unsure how to dispose of something, contact your local city green team (most cities have one, if yours doesn’t-check at county or state level) to see how, when, and where to dispose of certain items. Some cities, like mine, have a curbside pickup program that they run once or twice per year-it’s been so handy!

How are you being more eco-friendly at home?

Angie

Angie is a coffee-fueled writer, artist-wanna-be, and over-worker who currently resides in a tiny fixer-upper near Salt Lake City with her boyfriend and 70lb rescue pittie. She works full time in Customer Service/Computers, part-time in retail and fashion, goes to school part-time on and off, maintains this and another couple of blogs, as well as volunteers with rescue dogs. In her free time, what little of it there is, she likes to read, play nerd games, craft and create art, and spend time with all of the awesome people in her life.

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com