Sustainability and affordability are the two pillars of modern society. With the rising cost of energy and growing concerns about climate change, more homeowners are looking for practical ways to reduce their environmental impact, all without overspending.
For example, if your property has recently undergone an energy performance certification check, you must have noticed certain recommendations to improve the EPC rating. Depending on where your property is located, for instance, if you live in Hornchruch or the surrounding areas, you’ll likely receive recommendations from your local EPC in Hornchurch or East London.
These recommendations will help your property attain sustainability. While implementing these suggestions requires some upfront investment, in the long run, it will prove to be a cost-effective solution.
Sometimes, just making some minor adjustments can do a lot to reduce your carbon footprint while saving on your monthly utility bills. Let’s look at some easy home upgrades that can make your property more sustainable without burning a hole in your pocket.
1. Repair Your Door and Windows
Doors and windows that are constantly in use often fail to close properly, leaving gaps. These gaps make it harder to keep your home warm in winter or cool in summer, leading to higher energy bills.
This also applies to commercial spaces, like shop front doors that have gaps, leading to heat loss and higher bills. In such cases, it’s best to call a professional sliding door repair expert like Doorway Services right away.
This will prevent you from spending more on heating and cooling your property, reducing your energy bills while making your home eco-friendly. A broken or malfunctioning door or window can also lead to security issues.
2. Insulate Your Home
No matter the season, proper insulation will always help keep your home temperature optimal while saving costs on energy and gas bills. Insulating your walls, roof, and floors helps maintain a consistent indoor temperature, reducing your reliance on heating and cooling systems.
If full insulation feels too costly, start small. Simple upgrades like replacing old weatherstripping around doors and windows can make a noticeable difference. You can also consider double-glazing your windows to minimise heat loss.
3. Change the Lamps
The easiest home upgrade to make your property more sustainable is replacing conventional lamps with LED lamps. LED bulbs last longer, reduce energy consumption and are sustainable. This home upgrade also requires the least nominal investment.
4. Fix The Leaking Taps
Do you find your water bills and energy bills exorbitant? It might be because your taps or faucets are leaking. Get a plumber to tighten your taps or replace an old pipe. This will help you make your home more cost-effective and eco-friendly. If there is space on your property, try rainwater harvesting. You can use this water for gardening or cleaning dishes.
5. Install Solar Panels
While this may be one of the pricier upgrades on our list, installing solar panels is also one of the most impactful steps you can take toward making your property truly sustainable. Not only will it significantly cut down your future energy bills, but it will also reduce your reliance on the national grid.
This means in the event of a power outage, your home can still stay up and running. And if you happen to generate more energy than you use, you can sell the surplus back to the grid, earning you a few extra pounds while helping the environment.
6. Get Smart Thermostats
Did you know that lowering your thermostat by one degree can save you £107 a year? That is a significant amount of money saved. However, we often forget to regulate our thermostat, and this is where a smart variant comes in handy.
Smart variants will help make your existing heating system much more efficient while keeping your home comfortable. Simply connect your thermostat with the boiler, which will prevent you from heating your water more often and spending unnecessary resources, lowering your carbon footprint and saving you money.
7. Start Practicing Mindfulness
Embracing mindful habits at home can make a big difference when it comes to sustainability. Start small, like switching off lights when you leave a room or investing in smart lighting that you can control from your phone. Similarly, you can also do a full load of laundry in one go at a lower temperature rather than doing multiple loads.
Other easy wins include recycling, composting, and reusing items rather than buying new. Even something as simple as unplugging devices when they’re not in use can help reduce energy consumption and lower your carbon footprint.
8. Use Curtains
Your humble curtains, drapes and blinds can help you save money. Yes, you read it right. For example, by using thicker curtains, you can prevent heat loss during winter and keep the heat out in summer.
You should also draw the blinds in the morning and afternoon during the summer and close the drapes and curtains at night during the colder months. This will help lower your dependence on radiators and air conditioning throughout the year. Using blackout curtains can also help keep light and heat out.
9. Add Green Elements In and Around Your Home
If you have a kitchen garden, why not make the most of it by planting your own herbs and vegetables? Even if you live in a flat, you can still grow herbs in shallow pots—perfect for windowsills or balconies.
Add a touch of green indoors with low-maintenance plants like the snake plant, spider plant, or aloe vera. They thrive with minimal care and are great for placing in your bathroom, living room, or on windowsills.
As most cities tend to be smog-heavy, having fresh, oxygen-boosting greenery around your home can do wonders for your wellbeing, making your space feel calmer and fresher.
In Summary
These simple upgrades around your home will help you embrace sustainability without going over budget, all while helping you feel comfortable and enhancing the look and feel of your home.
Start by becoming more conscious of your energy consumption and adopt more eco-friendly practices in your home. Even if you cannot integrate all of these home upgrades, begin with minor changes, like replacing traditional lights with LED ones or making the best use of curtains.
Are you ready to switch to eco-efficient upgrades around your home?
