As the years go on and we are seeing more and more extreme weather conditions around us, we all need to start looking at the impact that we are making on our environment. While we can take public transit to work or walk to the store, the biggest changes that we can all make are in the home. Making small changes to how you're living in your home can really make a bigger impact than you might think. Here are some small changes that can help to get you started on the road to a greener life.
Whether you're looking to go big or small with your green home improvements a good room to start in is the kitchen. Replacing old appliances with new energy-efficient models will definitely reduce your carbon footprint and could save you up to $150 per year per appliance. Whether you're looking to upgrade in your own home or are looking at new homes for sale, you should look for appliances with the Energy Star seal. Studies say that if just ten percent of homeowners were to upgrade their appliances the energy saved would be equal to planting 1.7 million acres of trees.
If you don't have the money to replace all of the appliances in your home, than there are many other things that you can do around the kitchen that are much less costly. Start by paying more close attention to your water consumption. Try to clean your dishes by running a full dishwasher instead of cleaning them one by one in the sink. You may think that dishwashers are wasteful they are actually the greener choice. You can also switch all of your home cleaning products to eco-friendly options. There are many cleaners on the market now that work just as well as their non-green equivalents.
Moving on to the rest of your house, a great way to save money and energy is to use less heating, air conditioning and light in your home. Instead of cranking the air conditioning in the summer, you could open the windows at night to let in the cool breeze. Updating the windows in the home you just acquired could drastically reduce your heating bill in the winter months. And always make sure that all of the lights are off in the rooms that you are not using. It's amazing how much energy people spend lighting empty rooms.
Lastly, go green in your outside spaces. Planting new flowers and using organic products in the garden are great ways to improve the look of your home and help out the environment. And if you choose to add your property in the future, all of the greenery will definitely add to its curb appeal. CCWproject.ca is sponsored by Transwaysystems.com water heaters that can help make any home greener.
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