An
eco-friendly home is on the minds of many Perth residents thanks to the many
benefits associated with a greener lifestyle. Achieving an eco-home requires a
multifaceted approach and involves taking both short term and long term action.
In this article we share 10 ways to create an eco-friendly home, from
installing home tinting to having faster showers.
The idea of an eco-friendly home is often associated with
solely helping the environment and providing very little to residents. Here we
discuss the environmental benefits of an eco-home, but also the personal
advantages for you and your family.
Like much of the globe, the Australian government and many
big businesses are pushing changes that provide a greener future for the
nation. Though there isn’t much we can do on a national scale, an eco-friendly
home is a good start. If every homeowner made an effort to live more
sustainably, the world will be in a better place. As we know, this is unlikely
to happen, so you can rest easy knowing you are doing your part to help.
Reducing your utility bills and ongoing maintenance costs
are benefits no one is opposed to! By taking simple steps such as installing
home tinting
or having shorter showers, you can save big on water and
energy bills. We explore more energy-saving ideas below, but most will reduce
costs in the long run.
Some actions you can take will also save money on
maintenance costs over time. Sustainability is the common goal of most
eco-friendly products, which means they’re often designed to be durable so they
last longer.
Installing energy-saving, sustainable elements to your home
will often improve the value of your property. Many people look favourably on
established eco-homes as they’re a step ahead of other homes. Installing home
tinting, adding solar panels, and/or setting up a smart meter are all value
adding solutions.
Studies show that incorporating a ‘greener’ lifestyle can be
physically beneficial too. Eco-friendly cleaners and appliances can improve
your air quality by using fewer harmful chemicals. As a result, your health
improves.
Ready to get the ball rolling on your new eco-friendly home?
Here are a few ways to make an immediate impact without spending a lot.
Investing in home tinting
for windows
is a great way to save a lot of power on heating and cooling
costs. Much like roof and wall insulation, home tinting effectively maintains
the internal temperature. On hot days, tinted windows reduce up to 71% of the
solar energy and heat that passes through. In the same way, home tinting
reduces thermal energy from escaping through windows during colder days. These
benefits mean you’re far less reliant on air conditioning, which means you save
power and maintenance costs.
If you’re not ready to upgrade every window with tinting, start
with the sun facing sides of the house and gradually cover all bases in time.
Unlike some of the other eco-friendly ideas below, home tinting
works behind the scenes and doesn’t require proactive thoughts/actions such as
forcing yourself to use less water every day.
Lighting a big house has its costs, so consider upgrading to
energy-efficient bulbs. These can be easily acquired and installed for a big
effect. We guess you could say it’s a bright idea.
Use more water, pay higher bills – there’s no way around it.
Fresh water is currently not a feasibly renewable resource, and all the
infrastructure surrounding water usage can’t be good for the environment. So,
try limiting your showers to just a few minutes, installing low flow shower
heads, and using your washing machine only when it’s a full load.
A common trend in recent years has seen retail, dining and
other outlets adopt more reusable products to replace single use plastics. To
live in a more eco-friendly home, consider making the same changes on your next
shopping trip.
It’s also important to commit to recycling effectively. Do
your best to separate recyclable plastics from cardboard and make the effort to
use initiatives such as REDcycle.
Even the way we clean has taken a turn in recent years. Try
to avoid the harmful detergents and bleaches that may pass down the drain and
opt for natural cleaning agents.
Steam cleaners are another green way of cleaning without the
nasty chemicals.
Some strategies may take a while longer to implement or only
come into scope when something needs replacing.
A smart meter can help regulate the temperature in your
house by automatically switching heating on or off depending on the time of
day. It can also digitally measure your energy usage and report on trends so
you can identify areas to cut back.
When the time comes and you need to replace a piece of
furniture, consider purchasing second hand or recycled products. This keeps a
product in use and potentially out of land fill, while limiting a big companies
need to create new products.
Many newer appliances are designed to be more water- or
energy-efficient to reduce their carbon footprint. These can be more expensive
outright but are worth installing for the environmental and long term cost benefits.
Likewise, when an appliance has lost its usefulness,
consider purchasing a refurbished appliance like the point above.
If you have the space and the knowledge to do so, consider
setting up a compost system. This can be used to dispose of your food waste and
later for your garden. The alternative is more landfill which can take a long
time to break down. The more landfill, the more methane gas produced – which
harms the environment.
Harnessing the suns sustainable light is a great way to
cover your electricity use. They are expensive to install, but in the long run,
can save you a lot on energy bills.
A great place to start your eco-home journey is by
installing home
tinting. Home tinting looks great and provides many benefits, not just in
relation to energy and cost savings. Find out more about the benefits
of home tinting.
If you’re ready for a free quote on window tinting for your
house or workplace in Perth, contact us.
