We’re rapidly approaching a point of no return with the climate crisis. According to Nasa’s Global Climate Change body, we can expect significantly more natural disasters, higher sea levels, heightened global temperatures, less forest cover, and the ice-free Arctic in the coming century. As concerned inhabitants of planet Earth, we all need to do what we can to restore natural balance.

If you’re a homeowner, you can do your bit for the planet by embracing a greener way of living. Here are some practical suggestions on how your household can be a difference:

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Embracing an eco-friendly lifestyle

Eco-friendly or sustainable living, according to the United Nations Environment Programme, is all about understanding how your lifestyle choices impact the world and finding ways to live better and lighter. Here are some simple changes you could make to your current lifestyle to significantly reduce your carbon footprint: 

1. Reusing, repairing, recycling, and buying second-hand: Instead of buying new, you should aim to reuse, repair, recycle, and buy second-hand. This applies to everything from clothes and gadgets to appliances and furniture.
2. Growing your own food: Growing your own food has multiple benefits – it’s good for the environment, bolsters your mental and physical well-being, and also saves on grocery bills.
3. Not wasting food: The amount of food wasted costs 2.6 trillion USD annually and can feed 815 million hungry people four times over.
4. Reducing plastic use: Producing plastic requires a massive amount of energy and resources. You should switch to reusable alternatives where possible. For instance, you could use paper or cloth bags instead of plastic ones.

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Features that make a home eco-friendly

Besides your lifestyle, your home itself has a significant environmental impact. You could make your current home more eco-friendly. Or, if you’re in the market for a property, you can buy a home and make it eco-friendly. If it’s the latter, you should research home prices first to determine an area’s affordability and budget properly for eco-friendly modifications. Below are suggestions:

1. Smart thermostat: Smart thermostats automatically adjust the heating element based on the ambient temperature instead of you having to do it manually. It can result in large energy savings (and an accompanying reduction in energy bills).
2. Energy-efficient appliances: You should aim to switch to energy-efficient versions of your most-used appliances, such as blenders, TVs, air cons, and fridges. Depending on the efficiency rating, you can expect to save 10 to 50 percent of energy use.
3. Dual-pane windows: Dual-pane windows are excellent at keeping the air inside insulated against external temperature changes. They reduce heating and cooling energy requirements – and costs – significantly. 
4. Organic garden and landscaping: If your home has a garden or landscaping of some kind, you should aim to follow an organic style of installation and maintenance for a low environmental impact (like using green fertilizers).
5. Solar panels: Last but not least is having solar panels installed and drawing all your energy from them. With the right setup, the average household can save hundreds of dollars in energy bills annually. You can get in touch with G13 Solar to have tailored solar panels installed at affordable prices by a team of professionals.

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Conclusion

Making even a few of these changes will significantly reduce your household’s carbon footprint. As a bonus, you should be able to save a significant amount of money, not to mention feel good about yourself for being a planet warrior.