Creating an eco-friendly home is a way to live green in your everyday life. The green tips below can help anyone make their home more eco-friendly.
- Look for Energy-efficient Options
Do some research to learn about the many energy efficient options for your home. When it's time to replace appliances such as washers and dryers, consider both the price and the cost of operating the new energy efficient appliance over its lifetime. When you need to replace burnt out light bulbs, look at LEDs to replace the less efficient incandescent bulbs. Green living is an upgrade that anyone can make to their home without altering their everyday lifestyle.
- Create Less Waste
Many daily habits create a large amount of waste but there are eco-friendly alternatives. For example, purchasing a durable, re-usable water bottle eliminates the need for plastic bottled water. When shopping, instead of using plastic bags that will be discarded, try using inexpensive reusable totes. Not only will you be making the planet a cleaner place, but you can also save money. Green tips can actually help your bottom line.
- Don't Let There Be Light
Turning off the lights in an empty room is a green living tip that predates the eco-friendly movement. In addition, try to reserve artificial light for tasks that require it. Implementing green practices like opening the curtains in the daytime can produce all the light you need. At night, try to go as long as possible before turning on the lights.
- Embrace Cooler Water
According to Energy Matters, adjusting the home's water heater to between 49-54°C reduces energy use and financial expense. Another clever green-living idea is changing the water temperature when using your washing machine. Instead of using hot water, you can cut down on your energy consumption by washing your clothes in cold water. This is a relatively minor adjustment that everyone can make.
- Eliminate Useless Energy Waste
Even those who are most dedicated to living green in their everyday life can try to further reduce waste with these simple green living tips:
- Completely power down and unplug household electronics when they're not in use.
- Fix leaky faucets.
- Turn down the water pressure in your showers.
- Insulate the windows to prevent heat loss in the winter.
- Use a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature to your schedule.
Over time, all of these small adjustments can add up to big savings and improve your green living lifestyle.
- Find Alternatives To Throwing Things Away
Objects that you're done using may be useful to someone else. Before throwing these items away, determine if they can be recycled, donated or even sold to someone else. Or, consider whether these items may be repurposed in some way, such as turning a jar into a flowerpot or a tire into a swing.
Another way to cut down on the amount of trash you throw away is to use cloths over paper towels. Cloths are a more eco-friendly alternative to paper towels because they can be reused multiple times, while paper towels are much more disposable. You can repurpose old t-shirts as cleaning rags, buy cloth towels to dry your hands and wipe up spills, and invest in cloth napkins for meals.
- Be Mindful of Your Water Usage
Many places around the world, including Alberta, experience water shortages. To combat the environmental impact of wasting water, reduce your shower time when bathing or install a low-flow shower head to conserve. Another way to be mindful of water usage is to turn off the tap water when washing dishes. Continuously running water can be wasteful.
Green Living is a Lifestyle
Being environmentally friendly can have a lasting impact on reducing your carbon footprint. You can create alternative options for your daily living habits without making much of a sacrifice. These small changes, including the green tips you see here, can be implemented in many aspects of your daily routine. Making the adjustments can have a large impact on things like reducing your energy costs, improving your environmental awareness and most importantly, the Earth.
By changing a few simple daily habits, anyone can embrace a green living lifestyle in their own homes. When added together, the sum of these small individual changes combine to have a big impact on the environment. If you have any questions about our regulated energy services, we're here to help. Feel free to contact us at 1-866-420-3174 or reach out to us online at any time.