When you spend time to
make your home greener, it’s not only better for the environment but it also
usually saves you money too. Therefore, it’s got that feel-good factor and your
pocketbook will thank you.
To help get you
started, here are four tips on how to make your home that bit greener.
1. Switch to Appliances That Are Energy Efficient
Older appliances were
never that energy efficient. It’s only in the last few years that manufacturers
have focused on producing appliances that qualify for the EnergyStar logo.
EnergyStar signifies that the appliance is more energy efficient compared to
other ones and helps shoppers to pick out appliances that won’t be wasteful
with power.
Coming from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, their EnergyStar program aims to encourage
homeowners to use less power. Power generation through not always
climate-friendly methods can damage the environment, so the less we use of it,
the better for everyone. Choosing an appliance that does a better job with its
energy consumption is also easy to do with clear labeling of new appliances in
the stores.
2. Use Wooden Chopping Boards
Luxury wooden chopping
boards are built to last. Unlike cheap plastic ones that look unsightly and too
easily collect bacteria on them, wooden ones are easy to clean and provide many
years of pleasurable use too.
When you invest in only the highest quality kitchenware, you have kitchen knives, cutting boards,
plates, cutlery and cookware that last. This lowers the annual cost of
ownership to much less than when purchasing unreliable, cheap alternatives that
won’t serve you well. Also, wooden cutting boards, especially, are better for
the environment as forests can be replanted, making them a renewable material,
unlike plastic, which has to be manufactured.
3. Unplug When Not in Use
With the lower energy
usage of digital devices like laptops, smartphones, and tablets, we tend to
forget that they consume power too. When they’re left on and plugged in all the
time, they’re forever using power and recharging themselves. This is overly
costly and not very green.
Turning off digital
devices or letting them go into sleep mode reduces their power drain and limits how much
recharging is required. They will still alert you when there’s an important
message or notification. Make use of their energy-saving modes which turn off
their screens to conserve power.
The same unplugging
rule goes for other items in the home like hairdryers, radios, standing fans,
the toaster that gets barely used in the kitchen, and so on.
4. Stock Up the Refrigerator and Freezer
Most refrigerators and
freezers, especially older ones, use a similar amount of energy whether they’re
one-quarter full or totally full.
It is wasteful with
energy to only keep the refrigerator or freezer partially full. Energy is still
being expended to keep them at a constant lower temperature – even more so with
the freezer – and this is wasteful.
If you don’t expect to
keep a cooling system full then purchase a smaller one. It’ll use less energy
when it’s filled to capacity versus a larger unit that’s half empty.
Along with being
greener at home, it pays to practice the same concepts outside the home too.
This means making a to-do list that’s longer so that less frequent errands are
run. Look to shop at a smaller list of places to use less gasoline (or
electricity if you have an electric car already) on the way around town too.
This way, you’ll waste less time, use a reduced amount of energy, and not emit
as many emissions into the atmosphere either.
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