Winter is often a time where houses use more energy to keep rooms warm and provide more hot water as the temperatures drop outside. And as we spend more time indoors away from the cold, energy bills often soar due to increased use of electronics, interior lights, and kitchen appliances. But the good news is that there are several things that you can do this winter to run a greener and more environmentally-friendly home. Even if you are spending a lot of time indoors out of the cold, there are plenty of strategies to use to reduce your energy use, limit your carbon footprint, and bring your utility bills down at the same time.
Insulate Your Home
Insulation in the walls and attic space of your home is essential for saving energy in the winter. A well-insulated home does not lose as much energy from drafts, and your heating system does not have to work as hard to keep rooms at the optimal temperature for the weather outside. Insulating your home is typically a job that takes less than a day and it’s quite affordable. In fact, depending on where you live, you may be able to take advantage of government initiatives to insulate homes and make them greener.
Fix Drafts
Take a quick tour around your home to all the windows and exterior doors to see if you can feel any drafts coming through. Drafty windows and doors are likely to feel colder than the rest of the room and this can cause heat to be lost quite quickly. Drafty windows and doors mean that your heating system has to work harder to keep the rooms in your home warm, and the heat lost also means that you’re losing money. Resealing windows and doors can make a huge difference to your energy waste as winter draws in.
Get Energy Saving Options
The good news is that if you want to use less energy at home, there’s an energy-saving option for almost anything that uses electricity today. Energy-saving lightbulbs will use a fraction of the energy compared to a conventional light bulb, and you can get extension leads and outlets that automatically switch off when they have not been in use for a certain amount of time, cutting off the energy supply to the device that’s plugged in. When using appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine, use eco mode wherever you can.
Install a Refrigerator Filter
Reducing your energy use is not the only way to run a greener home this winter. Installing a water filter on your refrigerator can be a more eco-friendly option compared to using single-use plastic water bottles. As the dangers of single-use plastic to the environment become more apparent, discount filters can help you eliminate plastic water bottles from your life this winter by providing you with an option to get clean, filtered water straight from your fridge into a reusable water bottle instead.
Saving energy in the winter might be tougher compared to when it’s warm, but with the right strategies, you can ensure your home stays as green as possible during the colder months.