Small changes to make your home greener

Whether people are looking for replacement windows or talking to their contractor about kitchen remodeling ideas, the concept of being green has become a major aspect of home design recently. Unlike other buzzwords or trends, there’s nothing negative or temporary about green building.

Remodeling projects like energy-efficient windows, doors, and insulation, etc. and purchasing Energy Star-rated appliances can help not only reduce long-term cost, but lessen your family’s impact on the environment. By installing energy efficient room conditioners such as the Fujitsu Mini Split System, you can heat or cool different rooms at different temperatures or heat only one room at a time, thereby saving a lot of money and fossil fuel usage. Although much can be done to make your house greener during home renovation, talk to your remodeling professional about your concerns for saving money, energy and the environment.

Watch your water One of the easiest ways to help your family become environmentally friendly is to decrease your water consumption. There are plenty of other changes that can be made, according to Water – Use It Wisely. Something as simple as cutting the time in the shower can save thousands of gallons of water per year. Three easy installations that can have a big impact on your water bill as well as your environmental footprint are the additions of low-flow toilets, low-flow shower heads and aerators on every faucet. These products will be able to reduce water consumption by as much as half without altering the appliances’ functions. The low-flow shower heads and faucets serve dual purposes by saving water while at the same time saving energy because you are using less hot water.

Test for leaks One of the bigger reasons why energy bills skyrocket and fuels are over consumed is because too much hot or cool air is escaping a home. A well-insulated and properly air sealed home makes for a more energy-efficient home. Although focusing on the devices that heat and cool your home is important to being greener, keeping your house properly air sealed and insulated is too.

Change your light bulbs Now that the incandescent light bulbs are being phased out homeowners are switching to energy efficient fluorescent and LED light bulbs. As House Beautiful magazine put it, “the savings in energy are enormous.” Switching to energy-efficient light bulbs may be small, but they make a major impact. Also, keep in mind that some energy-efficient bulbs are bright, LED lights are dimmable, most florescent bulbs are not, so do your research before buying a few dozen.

Put in a little effort and go a long way There are a million things that you and your family can do to help the environment and use less energy. Some, like buying energy-efficient light bulbs, are easy. You put them in once, then forget about them and you still make a big change. Other ones, like using microfiber cloths instead of paper towels can save not only money but the environment as well. If we all just implement these small changes, we can make a huge positive impact on our environment.