How to Make Your Home More Environmentally Friendly
How to Make Your Home More Environmentally Friendly
This month, we celebrate World Environment Day – dedicated by the United Nations to encourage worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment.
If you’re inspired to do your part to help Mother Earth, one of the best places to start is with your own home. With a few simple updates, you can help the environment and even see some cost and energy savings.
Here are some tips to help make your home more environmentally friendly:
CONSIDER AN ENERGY-EFFICIENT MORTGAGE (EEM) LOAN
If you’re looking to finance energy-efficient home upgrades and improvements. Find a loan officer in your area or contact us for more info.
MAKE SMALL SWAPS
Sometimes little changes make a big impact both for the environment and your wallet. Swap out your current light bulbs for LEDs, set your heating/AC systems on a timer to use less energy when you’re not home or swap out your showerhead to a low-flow one to help conserve water.
USE REUSABLE
Save the landfills by using rags over paper towels, cloth napkins over paper, and a reusable water bottle over plastic.
WATER AT NIGHT
Watering lawns or plants during the day wastes water through evaporation. By watering at night, you’ll use less water and have healthier foliage.
ADD WINDOW TREATMENTS
Don’t let all of the heat or cold air escape through bare windows! Add window treatments to help insulate your home and keep costs low.
ADD SOLAR PANELS
Renewable energy source: Solar panels harness energy from the sun, which is a renewable and clean energy source. Unlike fossil fuels, which are finite and produce harmful emissions when burned, solar energy is inexhaustible and doesn’t produce any greenhouse gas emissions. Solar panels are designed to last for decades, and they require very little maintenance.
MAXIMIZE APPLIANCE USE
Don’t run your dishwasher or laundry half full. It’s better to run your appliances when full, and let dishes air dry rather than use the heated dry, or even go old school and dry clothes on a clothesline. Not only will you save energy, you’ll prolong the life of your dishes and clothing too!
UNPLUG
Your cell phone charger could be costing you more than you think. Make sure to unplug all of your cords when they are not in use.
REDUCE/REUSE/RECYCLE (RRR)
It’s a great time to make simple changes around your home to help the environment while saving money and energy. There are many more ways to RRR such as installing solar panels, using rain barrels, shopping with reusable bags, donating unwanted items, and even learning how to recycle properly or compost.
Help keep the world – our home – a beautiful place!
For more tips on ways to help preserve the environment and our natural resources, visit the United States of Environmental Protection Agency website today.