Budget-Friendly Ways to Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly

In addition to helping maintain our planet and preserve precious resources, creating an eco-friendlier home has several advantages. By making eco-friendly alterations to your home, you can create a more energy and water efficient space which will ultimately help you save a lot of money on your utility bill. In addition, creating a greener space can also increase your home’s value due to the growing number of people looking to mitigate their negative impact on the environment. Despite these benefits, many people feel discouraged from making green alterations to their homes due to the steep up-front cost that can accompany such changes. However, there are plenty of budget-friendly ways to make your home more eco-friendly. Continue reading to learn about some of the best low-cost adjustments you can make to create a greener living space.

Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs

One of the easiest and least expensive ways to decrease your carbon footprint is to switch from incandescent bulbs to more energy-efficient versions. Two of the most energy-efficient types of lightbulbs include LED or CFL bulbs. While incandescent bulbs use 60 watts of energy, CFL bulbs only use 14 watts and LED bulbs use as little as 10 watts. In addition to consuming less energy than incandescent bulbs, these energy-efficient alternatives also last far longer. Incandescent bulbs only last for around 1,200 hours while CFL bulbs last for roughly 8,000 hours, and LED bulbs last for an average of 25,000 hours. Having to purchase fewer replacement bulbs will result in even more savings in addition to the ones you’ll see on your energy bill.

Repair dripping faucets

That dripping faucet that you keep saying you’re going to fix but never do could be costing you a lot of money. While a few slow drips of water every minute may not seem like much, they can add up to several gallons of wasted water each day. Plus, a leaky faucet can also put wear and tear on the sink itself, which means you have to replace it sooner, costing you even more money and creating more waste. As such, it’s important to repair any leaks as soon as possible. Often, faucet repairs are easy enough to complete yourself. It simply requires the purchase of an inexpensive replacement part such as a washer or O-ring depending on the type of faucet you own.

Install a mini split system

If you’re currently using a traditional central heating and cooling system, consider switching to a ductless mini split. Ducted HVAC systems require far more energy to pump air throughout the house from a central location while mini splits release air directly into the room they reside in. In addition, ducted HVAC systems can also waste a lot of energy due to leaks in the ductwork which allow temperature-controlled air to slip through the cracks. In addition to reducing energy usage, mini split systems also use a refrigerant called R410A. It doesn’t contribute to ozone depletion like the coolants used by many traditional heating and cooling systems do. Unlike central heating and cooling systems, ductless mini splits are easy and far less expensive to install which makes them a budget-friendly way to increase your home’s energy efficiency.

Purchase power strips

Even when they aren’t in use, chargers, televisions, and other devices that remain plugged into an outlet will continue to leech energy out of your home. As such, unplugging your devices when you aren’t using them can help conserve energy and reduce your negative environmental impact. However, individually unplugging each plug is time-consuming and impractical. By purchasing power strips, you can plug all your devices into the same strip and simply flip them all off at once when you’re done.

Seal off any cracks in your home

Cracks in your home can cause air to leak into and out of your home which will cause your heating and cooling system to work extra hard and waste more energy. As such, it’s essential to seal off any cracks in your home. Areas around doors and windows are notorious for having cracks and small openings. Replacing your doors and windows is the best way to prevent air from escaping or infiltrating your home. However, a more budget-friendly way to seal off cracks is to add weather stripping around them or fill up any cracks with caulk.

Rearrange your furniture and appliances

Simply rearranging your furniture and appliances doesn’t cost you any money and can improve the energy efficiency of your home. Examples of how to adjust your furniture and appliances for optimal efficiency include:

• Moving your refrigerator out of the sun: If your refrigerator sits in a sunny area, the warmth from the sun will make it work extra hard to keep cool. By moving it into a shady area of your home, you can increase its energy efficiency.
• Moving your furniture away from heating vents or systems: Couches or lounge chairs can soak up the heat when placed directly next to heat sources. Plus, it can also cause your furniture to crack or dry out—especially if it consists of leather. In addition, they can also block hot or cold air from flowing freely throughout your space, thus, reducing the effectiveness and energy efficiency of your home’s temperature control system. As such, you should position your furniture away from your radiator or vents.
• Placing heating and cooling appliances away from each other: Placing your fridge directly next to your stove or oven will reduce its energy efficiency. The warmth from your heating appliances will cause the fridge to have to work harder to keep its contents cool.

Swap out your showerhead

Switching to a low-flow showerhead is another budget-friendly way to make your home more eco-friendly. If you’re worried that switching to a low-flow showerhead means you’ll have to shower under a light trickle of water, don’t be. There are plenty of quality low-flow showerheads that offer powerful sprays while reducing water use. Such showerheads are typically inexpensive and will pay for themselves in no time due to the savings you’ll make on your utility bill.

If you’re looking to make your home eco-friendlier without breaking your budget, consider purchasing a ductless mini split system from the Pioneer Mini Split Store. Our energy-efficient systems will offer you year-round savings, and we can often install them in as little as one day. To help you get the best deal possible, we also offer a low-price guarantee by matching the lowest advertised price of any competitor. To start improving the energy efficiency of your home, purchase a multi split AC and heating system today.