Eco-friendly upgrades can be an efficient and sustainable way to reduce your environmental footprint. From adopting solar power and installing water-saving fixtures, to increasing insulation levels in your home and cutting energy costs – eco-friendly upgrades offer tangible solutions that improve both living comfort and energy savings.
Reputable contractors with local knowledge can assist in selecting eco-friendly materials that enhance the aesthetics and value of your property while minimising waste. Furthermore, they know where to source recycled or repurposed materials that reduce their impact.
Install Energy-Efficient Appliances
Upgrading appliances is one of the easiest and most straightforward ways to lower energy consumption. Newer models typically consume less power, so simply replacing your old fridge or washing machine with energy efficient ones will lead to instant savings. But you can magnify their effect even further by following simple maintenance tips to keep them running efficiently.
When shopping for new appliances, look for products bearing the blue ENERGY STAR label. This government-sponsored program evaluates and certifies household equipment based on their ability to conserve energy, protect the environment, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions – including washers and dryers as well as refrigerators, air conditioners, computer monitors and televisions. In addition to product evaluation, ENERGY STAR provides resources and guidance for making homes more energy efficient overall.
ENERGY STAR-certified appliances use minimal energy by discharging only what’s necessary to perform tasks, like running the washer or turning on lights. This reduces demand on the national power grid, which in turn lowers utility bills for consumers while simultaneously decreasing carbon emissions associated with producing energy.
Landlords can create an eco-friendly home by installing energy efficient appliances into their rental properties. Installing these green appliances may increase property appeal and justify higher rental rates as tenants may pay more for sustainable living conditions.
Landlords looking to finance eco-friendly renovation projects may benefit from using a Citizens HELOC as flexible and cost-effective financing option. Sustainability has quickly become part of life, and with the right support homeowners and renters alike can create greener futures while remaining financially healthy.
Insulate Your Home
Insulation and air sealing upgrades can make your home more energy-efficient while improving comfort levels, as well as saving money on costly repairs. Not only are insulation and air sealing upgrades environmentally-friendly upgrades; they can help make them money savers!
Insulating your home efficiently will save money when keeping warm in winter and cool in summer, since insulation creates tiny pockets of air that slow heat transfer between rooms and prevent heat transfer altogether. This type of heat resistance is known as R-value; higher values indicate more effective insulation.
Insulation upgrades are one of the simplest and cost-effective ways to lower energy bills and make your home more eco-friendly. Although large insulating projects require professional assistance, smaller DIY tasks like draught-proofing pipes or installing insulation can often be completed successfully on their own. Installing insulation and fixing leaks or draughts could reduce heating costs by up to PS35 per year in Great Britain or PS45 annually in Northern Ireland; at the same time this action would help cut carbon emissions by 160kg (GB) or 215kg (NI).
Cotton or denim insulation, wool insulation and cellulose all offer eco-friendly insulation solutions, each boasting its own advantages depending on the climate zone where you reside. Each has different R-Value ratings depending on where your home is situated in your climate zone.
Insulation can also help lower noise levels in your home, making it a more tranquil place for you and your loved ones to unwind and relax. This can be especially useful if you live with noisy neighbors who snore. Adding shade trees into your yard can naturally cool the house down without needing air conditioning, further improving energy efficiency.
Use Sustainable Building Materials
One effective way to reduce energy use during home construction is through the use of sustainable construction materials. These eco-friendly options are sourced and produced in an ethical fashion and can serve a multitude of functions in various settings.
When it comes to selecting construction materials, local options tend to be the most eco-friendly choices. Wood harvested locally helps limit energy use and decrease waste material shipped long distances; additionally, local companies possess an intimate knowledge of which materials work best in your location as well as eco-friendly alternatives you haven’t considered yet.
Reclaimed wood is another sustainable construction material available for use, obtained from excavation sites, retired barns, home remodeling and renovation companies, shipping crates, salvage yards or salvage yards and used for cabinetry, natural-looking flooring, exposed beams or structural framing applications. Recycling concrete also makes an effective building material with low embodied carbon as it uses reused aggregate and cement with reduced energy requirements in its production process.
Hempcrete, a composite material created by mixing hemp fibers and cellulose insulation together to produce a durable yet energy-efficient building material, has recently come onto the scene as one of the more recent innovations in sustainable building. Hempcrete can be used in walls, floors and ceilings in addition to roofing applications – making it a fantastic replacement for traditional building materials like drywall. Furthermore, hempcrete provides more sustainable advantages in terms of fire resistance than its alternative: plywood.
Environmentally-friendly home improvements require an initial investment, but can quickly pay for themselves over time. Thanks to energy-saving products available today, homeowners can save on utility costs while simultaneously decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. If financing your project proves challenging, Citizens offers various home equity lines of credit tailored specifically to fit each homeowner’s individual needs.
Install Solar Panels
Solar panels offer an effective way to upgrade your home while simultaneously reducing its environmental footprint, and are well worth considering as part of an eco-friendly home improvement. While they require an initial upfront investment, solar panels produce clean energy over decades with little ongoing maintenance requirements – not to mention offering high returns thanks to government rebates and incentives.
To assess how much of an impact solar could have on your household budget, first research the average electricity rates in your region and calculate your daily energy use across appliances and equipment. Finally, multiply this number by your annual usage to see what savings would result from adopting solar technology. It may also help if your energy provider offers net metering – this allows excess power you contribute back into the grid to be offset against future utility bills.
When starting to explore solar energy systems, seek out a local company with certified installers who can assist in selecting and installing an appropriate system size and install. Once your system is set up, make sure it stays well-maintained to extend its lifespan and optimize energy production; keep panels free of debris or dirt accumulation; ensure there are no trees blocking their view; etc.
Green home improvements can help reduce your carbon footprint, improve indoor air quality and boost property values. Upgrading to energy-efficient appliances, installing insulation and windows and selecting eco-friendly building materials are all excellent steps toward decreasing environmental impact – however for maximum impact reduction it would also be wise to minimize water waste, embrace zero waste lifestyle and embrace renewable energy sources as well.
Many homeowners struggle to afford eco-friendly home improvements because of the upfront cost, but by taking advantage of rebates and incentives available through the Inflation Reduction Act you may find they’re more affordable than you imagined.
Embrace Smart Technology
Environmentally friendly home improvements can be easy and inexpensive to implement, such as switching over to energy-efficient lighting. Also consider switching out conventional cleaning products for ones made with plant-based ingredients that won’t pollute waterways or harm aquatic life.
Making your home more eco-friendly means adopting smart technology. Devices such as thermostats, lights and energy monitors help reduce energy use by automatically adjusting temperatures according to your schedule and turning off lights in unoccupied rooms. Furthermore, some smart devices have artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning features which allow them to adapt their operations in response to usage patterns, making them even more efficient than ever.
As some smart home upgrades may qualify for tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy incentives, they offer homeowners who wish to save both in the short and long term a great opportunity.
Installing a green wall is another low-cost and simple way to save energy. These living walls, covered with plants that purify indoor air quality and reduce pollutants, help create an environment with improved indoor air quality while simultaneously leaving behind less of an environmental footprint.
Remind yourself that being green is more than a passing trend; it is an environmental responsibility and financial investment that will bring long-term rewards. Some eco-friendly home improvement projects may require an upfront expense; however, their rewards are worth every penny! Luckily, Citizens offers affordable HELOCs so you can fund these eco-friendly upgrades immediately and start reaping their benefits immediately.
