Climate change is at the forefront of our minds especially as temperatures continue to rise and world leaders gather to discuss it, but what can we do to mitigate our impact on the planet?
22% of overall carbon emissions come from our homes though making your house ‘Green’ isn’t as complicated as you might think and absolutely worth the peace of mind knowing you’re doing your bit.
Em lets has compiled a list of tips you can do with your family or just on your own to shrink your carbon footprint and make your house greener!
Switch Off
Do you leave your laptop on standby? Do you leave your radio or Bluetooth speaker on for more than a few hours?
The Energy Savings Trust has shown that leaving electronics on standby can cost you just as much money as when you actively use them, this means you’re actually losing 35 pounds a year just leaving things on.
If you leave a fridge door open for more than a few seconds, it uses a large amount of electricity which can increase your bill even further. Perhaps the most simple thing we could do is turn our lights off more, which is costing us 11 pounds a year! Changing your light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs save 75% of electricity and last upto 10 hrs longer!
So next time you see a room full of electronics on stand by, save some money and turn them off!
Invest In Houseplants
House plants are a great way to get rid of toxic air pollutants which make the air in your home cleaner and can look very attractive! Worried that you won’t be able to look after plants? It will be very difficult to kill these hardy houseplants as they require minimal care and will look great in your home.
Spider Plant
- Increases the humidity in your home
- Clears airborne irritants
- Non toxic to pets
- Proven to help with mental health
- Grows very quickly
- Produces offspring that can be cut off and given to your friends!
- Makes small white flowers if looked after well.
Snake Plant
- Require very minimal watering
- Great in bathrooms as they love condensation!
- Shade tolerant so can be put anywhere in your home.
- Grows a cluster of white flowers.
Boston Fern
- Purifies a wide range of air pollutants
- Great plants for the bathroom as ferns love humidity!
- Requires natural light so great for windowsills
Peace Lily
- Can survive in nearly all soils
- Bloom in low light conditions
- Great for asthma sufferers, absorbs mold spores that irritates the condition.
Recycle, Reuse, Rethink
It’s very important to invest in reusable cups, plates and containers and not buy one time use plastics such as plastic cups, plates or cutlery. Ceramic or porcelain won’t contribute to the plastic industry and will be more hardy for the long term. Buying recycled products in supermarkets means the recycle industry will grow larger and there will be a bigger demand for people to recycle products. Using a food compost bin also reduces your contribution to landfills and can be used as a soil enricher in your gardens!
Doing Your Part
There are many ways you can make your house greener with minimal change to your lifestyle, just being more aware of your own impact on the environment and making the small steps to change it is enough. If you want to learn more about how you can reduce your impact or just want to learn more about climate change, check out these useful links below!
Quick tips to save energy at home – Energy Saving Trust
Average Electricity Usage in the UK: How Many kWh Does Your Home Use? | OVO Energy
