The increase in environmental concerns is now attracting the majority of people toward green habits and lifestyles. This is not limited to eating healthy and using environmentally friendly vehicles but, it also includes creating an eco-friendly and sustainable living space for oneself. There are different ways to convert your existing home into an environmentally friendly place.
Below we have listed some useful eco-friendly home tips to make your home a sustainable place. Let’s dissect these tips and tricks in more detail.
What are Eco-Friendly Homes
An eco-friendly or green home is a residential unit that has a low environmental impact. These houses use alternative energy resources and contribute to energy conservation.
Apart from this definition, here are some characteristics of an eco-friendly home.
Characteristics of an Eco-Friendly House
Following are the features that should be present in a home to term it an eco-friendly home.
Thermal Insulation
Thermal insulation is the key feature of an eco-friendly home. The insulation stores heat or cold within the room and regulates the temperature without using any appliance. It may not eliminate the usage of energy resources but can reduce the additional usage.
Resource Conservation
Conserving non-renewable energy resources such as water is another feature of an eco-friendly home. Taking precautions and bringing slight lifestyle changes can contribute significantly to resource conservation.
Alternative Energy
Usage of alternative energy resources is a key element to reduce the environmental impact of your home. This is not only limited to home, you can also drive an electric car to reduce the carbon footprint.
Smart Technology
Technological advancements such as motion and temperature sensor can significantly contribute to the energy and resource conservation of the house. Therefore, it has become an essential part of an eco-friendly home.
Tips on How to Make your Home Eco-Friendly
Here is a list of eco-friendly home tips and tricks that will aid you in making your home eco-friendly.
Use Energy Efficient Appliances
There are different ways to make your home eco-friendly, let’s start with using energy-efficient appliances. Modern electrical appliances are equipped with advanced components that use less electricity contrary to the older ones. Start from bulbs, and replace old halogen bulbs with higher resistance to energy-efficient LED bulbs. LED bulbs consume up to 75% less energy than halogen bulbs. To purchase used lighting and fans online, you can visit dubizzle.
Similarly, replace the old air conditioning system with the latest one equipped with inverter technology. For purchasing AC on a budget, browse through these used ACs for sale in the UAE.
Follow the Thumb Rule of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Reduce, reuse and recycle are three necessary changes to make your home more eco-friendly. Recycling refers to converting an old used product into a new one. For instance: if you are planning to create a vertical garden on your balcony, you can use soda bottles as a pot.
The process of reuse is elongating the life span and usage of a product before finally discarding it. For instance: if you purchase an item pack in a glass bottle rather than throwing it, reuse it as a container. This will reduce waste generation and thus lead to a healthy environment. Similarly, the process of reduction is to simply opt for eco-friendly products and avoid using products that are not environmentally degradable.
Insulate your Home
Thermal insulation is necessary to reduce the external environmental impact on the indoors. Start by insulating the walls with the help of fibreglass. Once done with the walls, fill all the gaps and cracks in the door and window panels. Along with filling gaps, install double-glazed glass on the windows to increase thermal insulation. If not, then at least install curtains made from thick fabric to block the sunlight from penetrating.
Read our blog on how to choose home curtains for further details on selecting appropriate curtains for your home.
Install a Smart Thermostat
Smart thermostats are programmed to automatically monitor and regulate the temperature of your house. The digitally programmable thermostat significantly reduces the electricity bill by turning on and off electric appliances when necessary.
Moreover, these thermostats can be controlled through an app that facilitates you in controlling your electrical appliances even when you are far from home.
Replace Paper Towel
As the name suggests, paper towels are made from paper. Approximately 24 trees are cut to create one single sheet of paper and this leads to severe deforestation across the globe. Therefore, it is better to avoid using paper towels, you can use eco-friendly alternatives to paper towels. The eco-friendly paper towels are made from recycled materials that slash the environmental impact.
Station Solar Panels
If you are willing to reduce the carbon footprint of your house, using alternative energy resources is the best way to start. The temperature in the UAE is generally high and the sun shines throughout the year. In this climate, solar energy can serve as the best alternative.
The process is simple, all you have to do is to install solar panels either on the roof or terrace where it receives maximum sunlight. This will also help you in reducing electricity bills in Dubai and other Emirates.
Switch Off Electrical Appliances
The next on the list of eco-friendly home tips is to minimize the usage of electrical appliances and switch them off when not in use. The electrical appliances on standby consume electricity and can add up to 5 to 10 times more to the electricity bill. Therefore, always turn off all the electrical appliances when not in use.
Compost your Food Waste
Composting is a process of decomposing food waste and converting it into a fertilizer. This recycling process enables you to create fertilizer that aids in plant growth. For composting all you need is a container, soil, food waste and earthworms. Make small holes or openings in the container, add a layer of soil in the container and then food waste along with some earthworms. Repeat the process until the container is full. Place the container in a shady open space and leave it for two months. In around six to eight weeks the fertilizer will be ready to use.
The fertilizer created from composting will be organic and can be used to enhance plant growth. You can use this fertilizer on your lawn or even in the indoor plants of your home.
Use Smart Faucets and Shower Heads
The smart faucets and shower heads contain a sensor that controls the water flow according to the motion. This slashes your water wastage while shaving or showering. The smart shower heads even have a reduced water flow that also aids in water conservation.
These were all the eco-friendly home tips that you can apply to your existing home and make it greener. However, all of the aforementioned processes bring significant changes in your lifestyle and home as well. Therefore, you may need to acquire permission from the landlord before choosing these green options and bringing any major changes. If you want to exclude this hassle, browse through these apartments for sale in the UAE and move into your own home.
Stay tuned to UAE’s top property blog for more sustainable living tips for your home.
