5 Sustainable House Ideas to Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly
Are you looking to make your home more eco-friendly, but aren’t quite sure how to do it?
When many people think of eco-friendly homes, they think of homes that are completely self-sufficient and off-the-grid. While this might be the ideal eco-friendly lifestyle, for many people, this way of living isn’t realistic.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways you can make your home more eco-friendly while still maintaining your creature comforts.
Check out this guide to discover the top sustainable house ideas to make your home more eco-friendly.
1. Invest in Energy Efficient Light Bulbs
One of the best ways to make your home more eco-friendly is to invest in energy-efficient light bulbs.
Not only do these lightbulbs use less electricity, but they also last a lot longer than regular incandescent lightbulbs. This means you can save some money while helping the environment. In fact, many LED lightbulbs have a lifespan of 50,000 hours, which is 50 times longer than that of a normal lightbulb.
Plus, energy-efficient lightbulbs have come a long way over the past several years, and you can now find ones that mimic the look of regular lightbulbs.
2. Lower Your Water Use
Did you know that the average person uses 80 to 100 gallons of water per day?
There are a lot of things you can do to cut down your water consumption around the home, including:
- Implementing an “if it’s yellow, let it mellow” rule when flushing
- Taking shorter showers
- Turning off the sink when brushing your teeth
- Investing in energy-efficient dishwashers and washing machines
- Investing in a low-flow showerhead
- Fixing leaks promptly
These small steps can make a huge dent in your average water consumption.
3. Install Solar Panels
Solar panels provide your home with completely clean electricity. And in some cases, they produce enough energy so you can sell some back to the grid.
Many people gawk at the idea of solar panels because of the upfront cost.
However, it’s estimated that solar panels take seven to 20 years to pay themselves off. So, if you’re planning on staying in your home for a long time, it’s well worth the investment.
4. Install a Smart Thermostat
Installing a smart thermostat is another excellent way to make your home more eco-friendly.
For many people, heat is their biggest source of energy consumption, especially during the long winter months, when many of us leave the heat on longer than necessary.
The best way to combat this type of energy consumption is to install a smart thermostat. With smart thermostats, you can program the heat to only be turned on at certain times of the day. For example, most people set it so their heat turns down as they leave their homes for work and turns back up as they come home.
5. Pay Attention to Labels
Last but not least, don’t forget to watch your labels when buying products.
Whether you’re buying organic chicken feed or snacks for your kids, you want to look for the USDA certified organic label. When a product has this label, it means it’s free from synthetic additives like chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and dyes.
If you buy coffee, you should also look for brands that are shade-grown, as this means that the beans are grown while keeping forested habitats intact.
Sustainable House Ideas: Ready to Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly?
Now that you’ve read these sustainable house ideas, it’s time to put them into action so you can make your home more eco-friendly. Before you know it, you’ll be living a more eco-friendly life and your monthly bills will be lower.
Be sure to check back in with our blog for more tips on leading an eco-friendly lifestyle.