Top 8 Renewing Eco-friendly Home Essentials

Today, more than ever, people are aware of the need for being eco-friendly, as our environment is slowly, but steadily decaying. Luckily, there are lots of ways where you can start developing your eco-friendly habits. So, why not start at your home? This is a perfect place where you can begin practising a sustainable way of life. By doing that, you will not only feel the sense of pride and accomplishment in helping the Earth heal, but you will also save your hard earned money in the process. Here are some essential tips on how to renew your house to be eco-friendly:

Installing solar panels

Solar panels are no longer a thing of the future. People are using them more than ever, and rightfully so! There’s no reason why you shouldn’t make use of the infinite and renewable energy source that the sun is. Rooftop panels store the sun’s energy and power and keep it available for you for future use. These panels are a rather inexpensive way of taking care of the environment, while simultaneously saving money on electricity bills. So, it is an investment that will pay off in a matter of just a couple of years. Today, solar panel manufacturers pay more attention to design, so they make beautiful pieces that match different exterior design styles.

Top 8 Renewing Eco-friendly Home Essentials

Energy efficient lighting

Energy efficient light sources have been present for quite some time now. However, people have grown accustomed to them only over the last couple of years, and the overall awareness of their benefits has increased. You might not even be aware of how much energy just one regular light bulb spends. And, you probably have many of them in your home, which racks up to hefty electricity bills in the end. That’s where LED bulbs come in handy, which help you lower your bills, while also reducing the carbon footprints of your home, without you having to switch the lights off. Fortunately, the technology of these lights has vastly improved over the years. They now provide enough light and don’t take much time to light the room entirely, which was one of the people’s main concerns in the past.

Top 8 Renewing Eco-friendly Home Essentials

Air-conditioning system

It’s no secret that air-conditions systems are not so great for the environment. Most of the AC systems today are high carbon emitters and lose energy when generating power. However, technological advancements today have made more eco-friendly air-condition systems available. Also, there are a couple of things to have in mind if you want to make your AC more energy-efficient. First, try going with a bigger unit, even if it seems counterintuitive. Bigger air-conditioners tend to lower the temperature much easier. Second, if an AC is not in excellent condition, it will spend more energy. So, every once in a while, or at least once a year, call your local AC repair service so that they can make sure that your air conditioning is in great shape.

Insulate your house

If you’re trying to make your home more energy efficient or to lower your energy bills, installing insulation is probably the first step that anyone with experience would recommend to you. If your house is adequately insulated, it will retain heat more efficiently, which means that it will emit less energy to the outside. In turn, it will be easier to reheat the place when the need occurs. So, invest in high-quality insulation, to cover up your walls and roof space. Be aware that, even though uninsulated walls lose around a third of your home’s heat, insulating your roof or attic is also a must, as around a quarter of heat is lost through there.

Invest in a Smart thermostat

It is easy to forget and leave your thermostat on, even if you don’t need it. Leaving your heating or your boiler turned on when not necessary is one of the main factors that contribute to increasing your power bills. That’s why you should think about getting a smart thermostat. These have become a fashionable trend over the last couple of years. Smart thermostats allow you to access your heating and control it through your phone or any other device at your disposal. Thus, you will be able to program your heating system, or your boiler, to start working just before you or your family come home. That way, your house will feel warm, without spending all that unnecessary energy when no one is around. Bear in mind that, although these thermostats are a great way to save money, they are not a cheap investment in the first place.

Top 8 Renewing Eco-friendly Home Essentials

Geothermal Heating and Cooling

As with solar energy, geothermal heating and cooling can be an excellent way to make use of nature to improve living conditions in your home. You should seriously put some thought into installing a geothermal pump, as it is one of the most cost-effective, energy-saving heating and cooling systems. These pumps reduce the energy expenditure by 25% to 50%, in comparison to air conditioners. So, why are geothermal pumps so great? These pumps shift heat from one place to another, depending on the season. Thus, in summer, they will remove the heat from your house and drive to the ground, while in the winter, a geothermal pump will extract the heat from the ground and heat your home. They work better than air-source pumps because the temperature in the ground is more consistent throughout the year. However, even though these systems are very energy efficient, they are also expensive. Therefore, installing them is recommended only when building a new house, or when performing a significant renovation.

Window frames

Even though UPVC windows are popular among homeowners because they are energy efficient and rather inexpensive, they do have their significant drawback. The main concern about these windows is that they emit possibly toxic substances and pollute your environment. There are a couple of alternatives to UPVC. Fibreglass window frames are highly energy efficient, even more than aluminium and UPVC ones. They last long and are incredibly durable, and easy to maintain. However, they are not as nearly eco-friendly as wooden window frames. Wood is a common choice with homeowners because, besides being eco-friendly, it gives the house a warm and classy feel. The main advantages of wooden frames are that they are easily recyclable, natural, and energy efficient. Their main flaw is that they require maintenance on your behalf and that they are not best suited for areas with extreme weather conditions.

Top 8 Renewing Eco-friendly Home Essentials

Using recycled furniture

When renovating or replacing furniture, people tend to go with the more simple solutions and buy from the big brands. However, if you desire to be eco-friendly, try to resist this urge, and opt for furniture made from recycled wood! There are many small and bigger companies which deal with furniture pieces from recyclable materials.  And you don’t have to worry! All of these items are brand new, carefully planned out by the designers. They are just made from the materials that would have otherwise ended up on a dump. By buying recycled furniture, you are not only helping the environment, but also small companies in their growth.

 

Being eco-friendly doesn’t mean you have to ditch everything classy or luxurious. There are many items you could choose from on the market, that suit everybody’s tastes. Most of famous interior design artists opt for these materials, and it has even become frowned upon not using them. With a little imagination and some investment, surely you can think of a way to incorporate recycled furniture, solar panels, or anything else. It will be an investment you won’t regret, for sure!