If you’re looking to lower your carbon footprint, your home is a great place to start. Despite being one of the main sources of you and your family’s energy usage, there are simple steps you can take to increase your sustainable output, without making any drastic changes to your lifestyle. Once you’ve cultivated sustainable habits within your own home, you’ll find it much easier to begin making more environmentally friendly choices in your day to day life, too.
You might be surprised by just how many sustainable choices you can make at home, without changing up your usual routine. While we’ve been spending more time inside lately, you might find that now is the perfect time to make the adjustments you need to live a more eco-friendly life.
What sustainable home improvements can you make?
Update your central heating system
One of the biggest monthly outgoings when it comes to both your energy usage and your budget, your heating system makes up a huge proportion of your carbon footprint. Updating your boiler is a very effective way to reduce your energy usage, without sacrificing your comfort; many more modern boilers available heat water only as and when you need it, rather than on a constant basis. This means you can avoid extra energy being wasted while your radiators are switched off. If you’re looking to update your heating system to a more environmentally friendly boiler, Worcester boilers are a great option to heat your whole home, without breaking your budget.
Ensure your home is as well-insulated as possible
While the British summer is slow to get started this year, it’s a good idea to take this time to make sure your home is as cosy as possible. Getting this job done in the summertime will leave you prepared for the colder winter months, as well as ensuring you can keep your bills low all summer long.
To insulate your home, keep an eye out for any draughts or cold patches around your windows, doors and letterboxes. Sealing these gaps with caulk, curtains or cosy doorstops depending on the type of style you enjoy in your home, will stop warm air from escaping outside, and remove the need to have your heating on as often.
Get into the habit of a weekly food shop
If you’ve been working from home over the last year, you might have gotten used to doing a weekly shop, rather than popping out for bits and pieces as and when you need them. As well as saving you money from more expensive corner shop purchases, planning your meals thoroughly will help you eat more mindfully. This will reduce food waste, ensuring nothing gets forgotten at the back of your fridge. If you can, try and shop from local greengrocers, too. Rather than unnecessary plastic being used to wrap your fruit and veg, local grocers will often allow you to limit your packaging during your food shops. Combined with the reduced food miles that come from shopping locally, this is a great way to make your mealtimes as eco-friendly as possible.
Make time to regularly declutter your home
Whether you’ve seen your home become more cluttered over the years, or you and your family have accumulated lots of belongings over lockdown, having regular sort-outs is a great way to ensure you can contribute to wider sustainable measures outside your home. Donating clothing, as well as any homeware you no longer get any use from, will mean your home stays as calm and comfortable as possible, while you stay safe in the knowledge that you’re contributing to a more sustainable lifestyle for your old belongings.