Making your home more eco-friendly doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. With some simple changes and investments, you can reduce your environmental impact and make your home more sustainable. Here are seven tips for greening your house and living a greener lifestyle.
1. Install a Wood Burning Stove
Installing a wood-burning stove that heats water is an excellent way to make your home more sustainable in the UK. Wood-burning stoves with back boilers allow you to heat your home and water efficiently using a renewable resource like wood. They provide heat by burning wood fuel within a firebox inside the stove. The firebox contains the fire and has an adjustable air inlet that controls the burn rate and heat output. As wood fuel burns, it releases heated gases that rise within the firebox. These hot gases heat up metal plates that make up the stove body and disperse warmth into the room through radiation and convection. The back boiler for wood-burning stoves makes them much more effective at heating an entire home.
On top of heating rooms, these stoves can also be used to heat water. The heated water can then supply radiators or taps throughout the house. Wood burning stoves with water heaters are a great renewable alternative to conventional fossil fuel boilers.
While a wood burner with back boiler installation cost may be higher upfront, it will pay off over time. You can find out more about the benefits of back boilers for wood burners online.
2. Use Energy Efficient Appliances
When buying new appliances, look for energy-efficient models. Energy Star-certified appliances use less energy and can help lower your electricity bills. Purchase energy-efficient refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, water heaters, and HVAC systems.
3. Grow Your Own Produce
Start a vegetable garden or install raised beds for growing your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs. You can reduce your carbon footprint by not purchasing produce that’s travelled long distances. Growing your own food is also rewarding.
4. Compost Food Waste
Composting leftover fruits, vegetables, eggshells and other biodegradable waste helps reduce landfill contributions. Use the nutrient-rich compost to fertilise your garden. You can compost indoors or outdoors. Some local councils offer subsidised compost bins.
5. Change to LED Bulbs
Replace luminous and CFL light bulbs with LED bulbs, which use at least 75% less energy and last much longer. Though more expensive initially, LED bulbs save money over time.
6. Insulate Your Home
Ensure your home is properly insulated to prevent heat loss in winter and overheating in summer. Insulate attics, basements, walls, floors, and ductwork. Caulk and weatherstrip around windows and doors. Double or triple-glazed windows also help. Proper insulation improves energy efficiency.
7. Install Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats like Nest help regulate home temperatures efficiently. You can program them to adjust the temperature when you are out to save energy. Newer models use sensors to track your movements and auto-adjust.
With some effort, we can all live more eco-friendly lifestyles. Our individual actions collectively make a huge difference. Implementing even a few of these sustainable living tips will benefit the environment and save you money.
