How to lower Your Home’s Carbon Footprint

There are many ways to lower your home’s carbon footprint and they are not as complicated as you think. A lot of the time, using your common sense is the way to save on energy prices and fuel consumption and in doing so, will cut your household bills dramatically.

Long term investments

If you have the initial means to pay, then there are several home improvements you can invest in that will pay for themselves in the long run. To begin with, make sure you have changed your standard light bulbs to low energy ones. This means you can keep them on for longer, and pay less. Then there is loft and cavity wall insulation, double glazing on the windows and underlay carpets for the floors, all of which will save pounds on heating bills in your home. You could also get a solar water heating system fitted for using free, natural sunlight to heat your home. There are even companies around who will give you a loan for this kind of work meaning that you can pay it back in installments at your convenience.

Free ways to save energy

If you don’t have the means to pay out for the above, don’t worry as there are also many simple and free ways to lower your carbon footprint at home. Firstly, turn off all lights when not in use as well as the TV, Internet router and microwave fully when you go to bed. 12 hours of electricity is a lot to waste if you are not awake to make use of it! Secondly, if it’s winter, use draft excluders at the bottom of your doors and around the windows to prevent heat escaping. Gas bills are high enough as they are, so why not try to make the most out of what you are already paying for? Finally, think when you are in the kitchen. Only fill the kettle up with the exact amount of water you need each time, consider doing your washing at 30 degrees instead of 40 and don’t put the tumble dryer on unless there is absolutely no other option. If you plan in advance, you will have time to hang up your clothes and wait for them to dry.
Whichever method you go for, using your initiative in your home can be the easiest and cheapest way to reduce your family’s carbon footprint. Whether it’s turning off a light or installing a solar panel, you can save your environment by starting from home.

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