Unless you’ve been hiding somewhere under a rock with your fingers in your ears, you know how much of a thing sustainability is right now. Every day, you’re encouraged to reuse and recycle, but it doesn’t stop with your cardboard boxes or compost heap; energy efficiency can also be beneficial when you’re selling your home. If you’ve lived in your house for a while, you might not have considered how energy efficient it is, and you might be horrified to learn the truth, so here are three steps to help you turn it around.
Audit Your Energy Usage
Unless you live an entirely self-sufficient lifestyle, you can predict that your energy usage is not as sustainable as it should be. Don’t panic, though, everyone else is in the same boat. You won’t know how to make your home more energy-efficient if you don’t first carry out an energy audit. This will give you all the information you need and will point you in the right direction.
A professional energy auditor will come over to evaluate how much energy is wasted on different appliances and offer advice on how to solve this. They can tell you to clear out your HVAC system, recommend that you lower your thermostat, or apply a Residential Tint to your windows to keep the heat in. Whatever they suggest, it’s always best to follow them.
Embrace Repurposing
If you’re someone who has a hard time letting go of things, whether plastic cartons, cardboard boxes, or clothes that have long gone out of style, perhaps it’s time for you to start repurposing these. Everyday household items such as jars, newspapers, clothes, bedding, and more are all easily repurposed if you know what to do with them, and it’s better than keeping them in the cupboard where they do nothing but take up space.
You can use these newspapers for composting, bedding could become a new table cloth or even a dress, whereas jars and cartons are superb storage options for loose foods such as ground coffee, cereal, or spices. This is just the tip of the iceberg, though, and you have free reign to get as creative as you can.
Be Sensible With Water
Everyone expects that fresh, clean water will be here forever. It will be accessible whenever we turn on the tap and let it run. This is not entirely true, and too many households are guilty of wasting hot and cold water every day.
One of the biggest culprits of this is when you come to wash the dishes. Read up on whether your dishwasher is better than hand washing, and then make changes to accommodate this. Furthermore, low-flow showers are always better than baths, and it doesn’t hurt to turn the tap off while brushing your teeth.
Efficient
Everyone is expected to do their part for the environment. You don’t impact the world as much as the large corporations that should be doing more, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take short but effective steps. By starting with your home, you ensure that whoever lives there next has a fantastic base to build from.
Please note that some of the links above and below are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.
