Reduce your home's carbon footprint through these eco-living measures
In a world of increasing climate change and the stirrings of Winter on our doorstep, energy use is bound to climb in the coming months. Making your home as energy efficient as possible is one of the most important things to do before Winter sends your energy consumption through the roof.
The impact of higher energy use and an increased domestic carbon footprint is directly proportional to the negative effects on our environment.
The impact of higher energy use and an increased domestic carbon footprint is directly proportional to the negative effects on our environment.
Mike Greeff, CEO of Greeff Christie's International Real Estate implores homeowners to take the necessary steps in order to ensure their home is on the path of a reduced carbon footprint and is making a lasting positive effect on the earth's ecosystem. "In our day and age, we have become so accustomed to having the most modern and trendiest features in and around our properties that we have not paid enough attention to the impact these fixtures may have on global warming."
Implement the following tips to reduce your property's carbon footprint:
- Ensure your home is properly insulated by securing all windows and doors.
With temperatures dropping slightly as the cooler days approach, sealing your property properly will be effective in retaining heat throughout your home. Windows and doors that are left ajar or that do not seal properly will impact the temperature in the home and the amount of heat that leaves through drafts and open spaces. If your property is left feeling nippy, you may turn to heating systems and heaters to generate more heat, thus increasing the amount of energy used.
With temperatures dropping slightly as the cooler days approach, sealing your property properly will be effective in retaining heat throughout your home. Windows and doors that are left ajar or that do not seal properly will impact the temperature in the home and the amount of heat that leaves through drafts and open spaces. If your property is left feeling nippy, you may turn to heating systems and heaters to generate more heat, thus increasing the amount of energy used.
- Change from incandescent lighting to LED lights.
As unusual as it may seem, there are still thousands of people who have not changed from incandescent lighting to LED lights. Incandescent lights have an unbelievable impact on the energy grid and can cause your energy usage to increase quite a bit. LED lights, however, offer much brighter lighting, last for longer and require only one sixth of the energy required for incandescent bulbs. These lights are also inexpensive and easy to fit.
- Dispose of your edible remains in a natural manner.
Utilising your remains from greens, veggies and fruit to make compost in your garden area is an effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. When waste is disposed of in landfills, it releases methane gas which is a form of greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gasses significantly impact the ecosystem and lead to increased global warming impact on the environment. When used as compost in your garden, the plants in the garden utilise the decaying vegetable matter that has been incorporated into the topsoil as a nutrient source.
- Implement efficient heating measures.
Having the proper heating measures in place will shrink your electricity bill and diminish the time spent altering the ambient temperature of your home. This goes hand in hand with taking the right steps to properly insulate your property. If your property is adequately insulated, there will more than likely be less of a need for additional heating solutions. If there is the need for heating, however, choose heating solutions that can be easily maintained, eco-friendly and will last for a decent amount of time.
Reducing your home's carbon footprint will not only make your carbon footprint smaller but can also dramatically trim your expenses and shave thousands of Rands from your electricity bill and other monthly expenses. Making your home eco-friendlier also increases its marketability to prospective buyers who are willing to pay a premium price now for a long-term saving on their electricity bill.
25 Feb 2019
Author Greeff
