Saving the planet and protecting the future of people, animals, and plants on Earth is everyone’s responsibility. And, as it is often the case, every little decision you take can have a significant impact on the environment. So, how can families create a sustainable home and maintain our efforts in the long term? More importantly, do you need to break the bank to save the planet?
At a personal family level, it may be difficult to decide which modifications to make to your home and lifestyle to safeguard future generations. The following tips will help you get started on your journey to go green at home.
Make Some Simple Switches
There are many simple and effortless switches that you can make in your everyday life to promote a green attitude. If you want to reduce your consumption of energy, you can replace your light bulbs with CFL or LED bulbs. These energy-efficient light bulbs last longer, which ultimately saves you money in the long term.
Chances are, your home is being powered by dirty sources of energy like coal-fired power plants and natural gas plants. The average U.S. household consumes 10,932 kilowatt-hour (kWh) per year, the equivalent of releasing 16,975 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. But you can make a huge impact by switching to clean energy for your home.
There is also so much you can do when you are decorating your home. Wouldn’t you love to feel both comfortable and at peace knowing that you are making a difference in the world as you eat, relax, work, play, and sleep in your house? Purchasing eco-friendly furniture is another area where we can make some important choices to have an impact since our homes are filled with furniture–tables, chairs, sofas, beds, dressers, and more.
Change Your Habits
Going green involves making some changes in your daily habits. Inspiring your family to eat less meat is one of the simplest and yet most sustainable action you can take. Indeed, a significant amount of greenhouse emissions responsible for climate change are linked to large-scale meat production. By reducing your consumption of meat, you also reduce your impact on the environment.
You can also make a difference by buying products from your local suppliers, such as shopping at farmer’s markets. It means that you probably won’t be enjoying exotic fruits from half way around the world, but you will be limiting transportation and harmful emissions while promoting the local economy.
Speaking of transportation, your family can save energy by walking, biking, carpooling, taking public transportation, or driving hybrid and electric vehicles. All of these options will help reduce your family’s carbon footprint, while saving money at the same time.
Save Energy And Money
You will be pleased to know that a sustainable home reduces both its harmful footprint on the environment and its costs for your household budget. However, if you’re planning on radical energy solution changes, you will need to look for financing options. Some eco-friendly improvements can be partially financed by governmental grants, and you can complete the investment with the best personal loans available.
Is it worth the cost? If you consider that energy-hungry homes can lose up to 35% of their heat through poorly insulated walls and 25% through the roof, it’s easy to see how improving your energy efficiency will rapidly pay for itself. However, you can bring sustainability to your home at a smaller cost.
The bottom line is that building a sustainable home is easy and affordable–and can have a huge impact when it comes to protecting our environment.
What changes are you taking to make your home more sustainable?
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