Eco-friendly Changes in the House Beautifies and Cuts Energy Bills

Embrace Passive Solar Design, Choose Energy Star Appliances, Make a Compost Pile

A well-maintained back yard; photo courtesy George Goodman

Eco-friendly is the way to go if you want your house to make the most use of all the blessings that technology has to offer. Green living can beautify the home and help reduce bills too.

Making eco-friendly choices ensure a house and home environment that is both style-savvy as well as helping to protect the environment. Eco-minded appliances are the way to not only save the planet’s expensive energy resources but also to cut back on energy bills.

Going green isn’t only about getting some much needed greenery into your home; it is also about a blend of design and smart choices.

Showcase Your Landscaping

Startling as it may sound at first, landscaping can help reduce energy bills and keep your home both snug in winter and cool in summer. This actually taps into a concept called passive solar design, where various aspects of the home’s orientation with respect to the sun is taken into account.

The right choice of trees and shrubs can protect the house from sun rays in summer and LED lights can keep the garden and yard area bright at night without the extra cost while saving electrical power as well.

Becoming Water Savvy and Hydro-Frugal

Installing an aerator on kitchen and bathroom taps can cut back on water supply costs without reducing the water pressure. The new brand of low flush toilets use comparatively less amounts of water while looking good as well.

Tankless water heating can save you from heating unnecessarily large amounts of water while still enjoying a nice hot shower without hassles. These units are available as both electirical powered and gas-fired.

Appliance Wise with Energy Star

Energy Star appliances are the best when it comes to keeping a lid down on energy bills. However, it is not only the star rating that counts. What is more important is the size of the appliance.

Having a highly rated product like a large fridge that is left almost empty will be of no real value. The underutilization of the fridge actually requires more energy for cooling than otherwise.

The same is the case for small refrigerator models that are overburdened. Having too many things packed into a small space expends more energy to keep things cool.

Keeping a mini herb garden in your backyard or in a window box outside the kitchen can not only cut down on the grocery bill but help providing organic produce. Plants will also help make the air stay cleaner.

Keeping Cool Naturally

Organic blinds or bamboo blinds can add to the aesthetic value of your rooms and help keep away the warm summer breezes. Casement or awning windows too can help bring in more fresh air.

Having potted plants or creepers will add not only to the green appeal of the rooms but also beckon in purer air. As you might recall, plants take in carbon dioxide and produce life-giving oxygen. Many plants also filter out cooking odors.

Don’t Waste that Waste

Recycling starts from the home. Keep a separate space for recycling items. Most municipalities already provide plastic (ironic, yes?) recycling containers.

When it comes to your fruit peels and veggie residue, since they are biodegradable, they can be used to make your own compost, which in turn can be use as a natural organic fertilizer. You paid for it; you might as well profit from it.

That way you can have chemical-free plants and no wastage of organic goods. Recycling and finding uses for plastic bags and jars too can help store kitchen stuff. Glass bottles can be re-used to store herbs and spices and be arranged in an attractive display on a shelf.

Do you have any tips for making positive and money-saving changes in your home? Feel free to share them with our readers in the comment section below. Small changes add up to big results!

About the Author:

Jamith is an Interior Designer and Blogger. He prefers to have underfloor heating systems and towel warmers to maintain a bathroom ambiance that is warm and more welcoming; which surely makes bathing experience more rejuvenating, especially for children.

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