Environment
Why Eco-Friendly Solutions Can Work for Your Home
The World Meteorological Organization reports that 2020 is projected to be one of the three warmest years on record, which is terrible news to end an already awful year. With global ice levels steadily decreasing and wildfires raging at an unprecedented rate, it’s more important than ever for people to live an eco-friendly lifestyle. The future of the planet may well depend on it.
Although change can be scary sometimes, no-one has to wake up tomorrow and be radically different from how they were yesterday. You can ease yourself into the new lifestyle, so long as you keep making small alterations that help you to become more eco-friendly.
The best place to start with all this is in your home. Finding safer ways to source your energy or do household chores can have a significant impact on the planet. If you don’t believe us, maybe these reasons will convince you to live in an eco-friendly house.
Better Resale Value
You may not be thinking about selling your home right now, but it could be something that you consider in the future. If that happens, you want to get as much money for your property as possible. The good news is that plenty of people are willing to pay more for somewhere that’s kinder to the planet.
Eco-friendly features are frequently named as one of the most important design elements that people look for in a new home. In one survey, around a quarter of respondents even said they’d pay more to live in a place like that. Considering that the demand for these kinds of houses is only going to increase over time, it’s well worth making such changes now.
Even if you don’t make a lot more money when you eventually sell the place, the eco-friendly nature of your home should at least make it more attractive to buyers. That means you shouldn’t have much trouble getting it off your hands when the time comes.
Fewer Maintenance Costs
It would be ideal if homes could go for years without needing any work done to them. However, materials can decay over time, leading to various structural problems that can require costly maintenance work.
This is an issue that every homeowner has to deal with. However, those who live in more eco-friendly properties tend not to have to deal with such annoyances as often. That’s because the materials used to make them are typically more durable because they’re designed to be sustainable. While such homes can still be just as pricey to fix up, the time that elapses between maintenance work is usually much longer.
Obviously, you can’t strip your house down and replace all the materials without spending a ton of money. However, changes here and there can gradually make the structure more sustainable, thereby saving you money in the long run.
Reduced Bills
Every month, a percentage of your salary goes towards paying bills for things like water and electricity. It’s not uncommon for people to look at how much they lose on these expenses and wish they could find a way to reduce them. As it turns out, using eco-friendly energy solutions can actually achieve that.
By using systems like solar power to generate hot water, you can fight the rising energy prices and pocket more of your hard-earned money. In Western Australia, heating water accounts for around ¼ of average energy usage, and the area is no stranger to sunshine. Perth receives roughly 3,000 hours of it every year, so imagine how much you could save by using solar hot water systems. Renew Energy are specialists in the area and have been for the best part of two decades now. So, you can rely on them to meet your solar hot water needs, no matter what they may be.
A Healthier Environment
You can never really tell just how safe or harmful the products that you use are. You might think they’re perfectly fine to have around, but if they’re not made with natural, eco-friendly materials, who knows what potential dangers they could contain. That goes for the materials used in your home, as well as cleaning products and other stuff you might buy from the store.
To avoid exposing yourself to anything harmful, it’s always good to surround yourself with stuff that’s good for the environment. You know that this stuff won’t have any pollutants; otherwise, it wouldn’t be eco-friendly. You might have to shop around a bit to find stuff that meets your needs because the average store isn’t going to have a sustainable version of every single product. However, while it might require some extra effort, the benefit of knowing you’ll be safe in your own home is surely worth it.
Lower Carbon Footprint
It’s so easy to forget about how much of an impact our actions can have on the planet. After all, you don’t see an immediate consequence when you heat your home or go for a drive, so it’s easy to assume that these things aren’t doing much.
Unfortunately, every time you do stuff like this without utilizing an eco-friendly solution, you do a tiny bit of damage to the Earth. The average Australian’s carbon footprint is reportedly 15 tonnes of CO2 a year, which is two more tonnes than it should be.
That’s why making sustainable changes to your home is so important. By switching things like how you get your energy, you reduce your carbon footprint and do some good for the planet. The more people who adopt these changes, the healthier the world and everyone on it will be in the long run.
The image that tends to be drawn of an eco-friendly home is one that puts a lot of people off. However, as with anything, it’s not good to stereotype these kinds of houses. Switching to more eco-friendly solutions doesn’t mean that you’re going to have to run on a treadmill to operate your TV, or only shower once a week. It just means making little changes here and there which won’t affect your everyday life but which will have a significant impact on the health and safety of the planet.
You Can Make Green Living a Lot Easier with These Tips
There are a lot of ways that you can lead a greener lifestyle. The tips listed above should go a long ways.