4 Ways to Make Your Home Eco-Friendly and Save Money

Do you cringe every time you get your energy bills in the mail? Do you try to conserve your usage, but it doesn’t seem to help? You might have an energy inefficient home to blame.

Reducing your negative impact on the earth is one of the benefits of going eco-friendly at home. The other is saving money – often a lot of money.

You don’t have to redo your entire house, either. Instead, you can make strategic updates in key areas. These will lower your energy bills and help out the environment. Find out how to do it, and start living green.

4 Simple Updates for an Eco-Friendly Home

An eco-friendly home isn’t hard to achieve. It begins and ends with the parts of your home that get the most use. These energy culprits can be caught and replaced. Meanwhile, don’t forget about your yard when it comes to eco-friendliness.

1. Replace the Light bulbs

Traditional light bulbs are known energy-wasters. Plus, they get hot after being turned on for a while, which can heat up your rooms unnecessarily. In the summer, this can force your air conditioner to work harder, wasting more energy.

Replace all of your old bulbs with energy-efficient ones. Go with LED bulbs, which are more expensive, but they’re so long -asting, you may never need to replace them.

2. Go Native and Add Shade

Take energy-efficiency out into your yard and you will save on water bills. Incorporate hardscapes (like patios and river rock) as opposed to a giant stretch of lawn you never use. Plant native plants – they require less care and watering. To save on cooling your home, plant trees for their shade near windows, but not too close to the house.

3. Update Old Windows

Old, single-paned windows don’t have the efficiency of the new windows available today. Most new ones have double or triple panes and come with a protective UV coating.

If your windows let in drafts, they’re also letting in cold and warm air. If you invest in replacing them, you could see significant savings on your energy bill. When living in an old house, make sure the frames are replaced, too.

4. Replace Dated Appliances

If you’ve had the same appliances for 20 years, you’re missing out on savings. Newer models use less water and energy than their older forebears. This means you could be reaping the benefits of an efficient refrigerator, dishwasher, and washer and dryer. In fact, the energy savings are so significant, you could earn back the cost of the purchase in a few years.

Eco-Friendly Home Updates Are the Future

The future for homes is eco-friendly. More and more homeowners are concerned about their carbon footprint and their consumption.

If you’re one of these people, start with one of these green updates for your home. You’ll lower your energy bills, but you’ll also make the planet a little friendlier for everybody else.