In a world where being environmentally conscious is becoming increasingly crucial, making sustainable choices at home is a powerful way to contribute to a healthy planet.
Creating a sustainable home not only benefits the environment but also enhances your quality of life. Here are five practical ways to make your home more sustainable.
Upgrade your Insulation!
Adding and upgrading insulation is one of the most effective ways to improve your homes sustainability as it helps to prevent heat from being lost through walls and floors, which also results in savings on heating bills. If you’re renovating a house, you should consider adding either cavity wall or solid wall insulation, depending on the construction of the building.
You should also add loft insulation. Up to 25% of your home’s heating energy is lost in the roof. Loft insulation stops rising heat escape through your loft by laying down blanket loft insulation rolls which you can alter to fit between the joists in your loft.
Gaps between older floorboards are inevitable over time as the wood expands and contract due to varying levels of humidity in the air. This causes avoidable draughts which wastes your home’s heating energy. You can exclude draughts using dust, resin, or acrylic fillers, or wood filler strips.
Update your Windows
Replacing single glazing with double glazing will make a huge difference to the energy efficiency of your home. Double glazed windows to help to keep the heat in a home by preventing draughts and heat loss through the window frame. 40% of the heating energy produced in your home is lost through gaps in windows, doors, and floor. Filling these saves energy by keeping the heat in!
As added benefit, they can also help to reduce the volume of outside noise. Some people, particularly those building from scratch, choose to fit triple glazing. Triple glazed windows have three sheets of glass panels with two gaps. The gaps keep air or gas vacuum sealed. This prevents heat loss as it’s a poor thermal conductor.
Consider Renewable Energy Systems
If you’re serious about creating a sustainable home, then you really need to look at some of the renewable energy systems out there – they are constantly developing. The term ‘renewable energy’ refers to energy derived from natural resources such as water, wind, or the sun. Systems that use renewable energy include:
- Solar panels
- Ground source heat pumps
- Air source heat pumps
- Biomass boilers
Use Eco-friendly Paints
When it comes to decorating your home, opt for low VOC paints – there is a huge range out there with a vast colour choice.
Low VOC paints contain fewer Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) than regular paints. VOCs are chemical compounds found in all kinds of products and are potentially damaging to health and the environment.
In the case of paint, VOCs are not only released when the paint is being applied but continue to be released in the years that follow.
Upgrade your Boiler
Most modern boilers are now rated between A-D efficiency rating and are required to use condensing technology, which is 25% more energy efficient than non-condensing boilers since it uses waste heat to preheat cold water.
Gas-fired boilers, like combi boiler, can provide heat on demand straight from the main lines so energy is not wasted from storing heat.
Hydrogen boilers work the same way as usual modern boilers, but they burn hydrogen gas instead of natural gas. This new energy source is also emissions-free, with the only by-product from combustion being water. Some manufacturers have also released ‘hydrogen ready’ boilers that run on hydrogen fuel should it be brought to market.
Biomass boilers use biological materials, or biomass, to produce heat through combustion. Biomass can also be converted to produce sustainable fuels such as biodiesel.
Despite expensive upfront costs, biomass boiler running costs are less vulnerable to market spikes than gas/oil-fired counterparts. Additionally, they do fall under some government grants, which helps cover the costs of installing them.
Conclusion
Transforming your home into a sustainable haven is an achievable and rewarding endeavour. By incorporating these five ways, you’re not only contribute to a healthier planet but also create a more comfortable and conscientious living space for you and your family. Remember, every small steps counts, and these changes can make a significant impact on the environment.
If you’d like to find out more about what we can do for your home. Get in touch, here.