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How to Make your House and Garden More Energy Efficient

How to Make your House and Garden More Energy Efficient
24 July 2019

With energy prices ever rising and global warming having an increasingly damaging effect on the environment, more and more people are looking for ways to lead a greener lifestyle and reduce their carbon footprint. Making your home more energy efficient offers a huge number of benefits – it can reduce environmental harm,make your living space more comfortable, save you money on your utility bills,and even increase your property value. With this in mind, here are some top ways to make your house and garden more energy efficient.

Switch to solar power

Switching to a clean renewable energy source like solar power, is a fantastic way to instantly reduce your carbon footprint and make your property more environmentally-friendly. What’s more, you could actually make money on your investment in the long-run. According to solar specialists at MyPowerUK, you should typically see a Return On Investment (ROI) of 11-16% or higher and expect a payback in 6-9 years. This means that you will essentially have access to a free, clean energy supply for many years after you have paid off the installation fees – the average life span of solar panels is thought to be around 30 years.

Upgrade to energy efficient appliances

Switching to energy efficient appliances is an effective way to instantly reduce your household energy use. Upgrading your appliances may seem expensive, but these costs should quickly be recovered through the energy-saving benefits. This is because eco-friendly appliances are far more efficient and use less energy,which should save you money on your energy bills in the long-run. You should also consider switching any incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient ones, such as LEDs. LED lights use far less energy and typically last much longer than traditional light bulbs, meaning they need replacing less often. You can easily buy and install LED lights yourself, making this is a quick and affordable way to reduce your carbon footprint and cut your energy costs.

Reduce water use in the garden

One of the best ways to make your garden more energy efficient is by reducing the amount of water that you use outside. You can start by purchasing drought-proof plants that are able to survive for long periods without water,adding decking to minimise the amount of grassy areas that need watering, and using a watering can instead of a hose – this will reduce the water flow, thus minimising the amount of wasted water. You should also consider putting some containers outside to collect rainwater. Watering your garden with harvested rainwater is a fantastic way to make your property more eco-friendly and cut your water bills.

Create your own compost 

According to a blog post by the Environmental Protection Agency - “compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow.” That means that you can effectively reduce household waste and lower your carbon footprint, all while creating a free high-quality fertiliser to help keep your garden looking healthy and beautiful. Making your own compost at home is super easy – you simply choose an outdoor space if you want to start a compost pile, or purchase a suitable container if you would prefer to keep your compost within an enclosed bin. You can then add a huge range of different scraps from your kitchen including – vegetable peel, fruit, egg shells, tea bags, and paper.Make sure that your compost pile or bin is somewhere were worms can get to it and ensure there is an oxygen supply. Over time, the worms will break down the organic matter turning it into useful compost for the garden.