How to make your home more eco friendly?

Many homeowners are now looking for ways to live in a more sustainable house and protect the planet for future generations. Aiming for a more energy efficient home is a great place to start. 

With the advent of increased technology now more than ever it is easy to make simple changes that will lower a household emissions and save energy. Running an eco friendly house means higher savings on energy consumption and it makes a positive impact on the environment which is always a win win. 

We have put together a guide on how to create an eco friendly house.

First, start with household fundamentals: water, electricity and heating.

To make any house eco friendly you must start with the fundamentals. Focus your efforts on water, electricity and heating as these will provide you with a great stepping stone to future improvements. 

There are a number of tech savvy means of making your home more eco friendly but do not worry if you have a very limited budget as there are plenty of simple swaps that you can make to go green. 

Climate change makes the status of our water supply more unpredictable, and excessive use costs you more money. It’s a vital resource, so we need to use it as efficiently as possible.

Climate change has made the status of our water supply more unpredictable than ever before and excessive use will eventually cost you more money. As it is a vital resource that every human being on earth needs, we need to use it as efficiently as possible. 

The installation of a more efficient shower head decreases water usage and could save you nearly £200 a year. Fitting aerators to your taps and a flow regulator to your shower will also help you save more water instantly.

Washing machines are a source of contention as they use a large amount of water. We suggest you only start your load once the washing machine is full as a half load will use the same amount of water as a full load.

When it comes to washing the dishes this is also a part of the home where water can be saved in droves; use a washing bowl to wash up rather than letting the tap run and if possible use cold water rather than waiting for the boiler to heat up the water. If you have a garden and like to water the lawn during the spring and summer months then why not look into purchasing a water butt to collect rainwater. This is a great source of water saving that can help your home go a long way to becoming more energy efficient.

After a long day at work, it’s tempting to get lazy when it comes to electricity consumption. Remember, using less electricity helps reduce emissions and your bills, so it’s a worthwhile pursuit.

When you come home from a long day at work it is very tempting to get lazy when it comes to electricity consumption. Keep in mind that using less electricity helps reduce emissions and your bills so it is a worthwhile pursuit to keep usage down. 

Below we have listed some simple eco friendly solutions:

• A great way to reduce electricity consumption is to swap all household bulbs for LEDs. These types of bulbs last up to 25 times longer and they also will help you save up to £35 a year on electricity bills.
• If you are not using a room, turn off the lights. 
• Avoid filling the rooms in your house with unnecessary light fixtures. 
• Be sure to unplug all electric devices as leaving the plug in can mean appliances are still on standby. By doing so you could save up to £30 a year. 

More than half of UK household fuel bills go on hot water and heating. Many homes aren’t properly insulated, so we turn to central heating for warmth more often than we should. This means higher CO2 emissions and higher energy bills.

Over half of UK household fuel bills will go on hot water and heating. Many homes across the UK are not properly insulated which means homeowners turn to central heating more often than we should. This results in households expending higher CO2 emissions and ultimately results in higher energy bills. 

Below we have some tips on how to make your home heating more eco friendly:

• Use your thermostat to avoid your heating system being used all day. A thermostat will allow you to set a desired temperature and will activate the heating system only when needed. 
• If you are on a tight budget draught excluders and thermal wallpapers are cost efficient ways to keep your home warm.
• Uninsulated cavity walls lose roughly a third of its heat through the walls, so getting insulation installed is a very smart move. Installing roof and loft insulation is another great way to improve the eco friendly credentials of a house.

The good news is that, by the end of 2020, the government requires all gas and electricity suppliers to offer customers smart meters. This will help households monitor energy use remotely and keep track of the cost.

By the end of 2020 the government will require all gas and electricity suppliers to offer customers smart meters. This will help homeowners monitor their energy usage remotely and then keep track of the cost. You may also be eligible for a government boiler grant, to find out more about these grants read our full guide on boiler grants in the UK. If your system is old it is worth switching to a newer more efficient model as doing so could save you more than £500 a year.

You may be planning on building your own eco-friendly home instead of altering your current property. If this is something you’re interested in, consider the following green design tips:

• Use green materials. These materials are natural, renewable, recyclable and/or durable, with minimal environmental impact. Examples include straw bales and timber.

• Utilise fewer building materials by focusing on efficiency in the design phase.

• Harness renewable energy wherever possible. For example, use solar panels.

• Aid water conservation through rainwater utilisation systems and low-flow plumbing fixtures.