How to Become Carbon Neutral at Home
Here we share advice on how to become more carbon neutral at home. Climate change is an issue that’s close to a lot of our hearts. We should all be increasingly aware of our impact on our environment and look for ways to do our bit to reduce this.
When it comes to reducing your carbon footprint, it’s worth remembering that the little things we do can add up to make a big difference. Whatever steps we take the more we make, the better.
Use less water
The water we use requires energy and resources to arrive at our taps. It also requires energy to heat up the water we use too. It can be easy to overlook just how much of this water goes to waste in our homes.
By making a conscious effort to use less water, you can do your part. This doesn’t need to be a wholesale change either. Consider turning the tap off when you’re brushing your teeth, taking shorter showers (aim for 4-minutes) in the morning and only boiling the water you need when making a cup of tea or coffee.
Insulate your home
Insulating your loft or walls (where possible) is a great way to reduce the amount of heat loss in your home. It will mean it will stay warmer for longer and you will use less energy to heat it in those colder months. Be sure to speak to a professional when looking at the best way to insulate your home as you will still need to ensure there’s adequate ventilation.
Use smart heating controls
Smart heating controls allow you to set the temperature for each room, ensuring you’re only heating up the part of your house that’s in use. This can be an easy and effective way to reduce your carbon footprint by cutting the amount of energy needed to heat your home.
Assess how energy efficient your home truly is
From blocking out draughts to upgrading your double glazing, there are a whole host of ways that you can improve the energy efficiency of your property. Taking the time to assess how energy efficient your home is and taking the necessary measures to improve this can go a long way in reducing your carbon footprint.
Buy energy efficient appliances
It’s not just about heating and insulation when it comes to energy efficiency. The everyday appliances you use can also have a big impact. We’re not saying that you should replace these all at once, but when you’re on the market for a new kettle, toaster or washing machine, take the time to review the energy efficiency rating of each product. Opting for more efficient appliances can make a big difference and save you money in the long run.
Turn off the lights
This is a simple tip that can easily become a matter of habit. Every time you leave a room, turn off the lights. It will only make a small difference on its own but if we all follow this trend, it can really add up.
Turn off electrical items not in use
We’re surrounded by so much technology on a daily basis that it can be easy to overlook just how many electrical items are plugged in and using power while not in use. Take a walk around your home and count up how many items make the list, it might surprise you. Again, try to get into the habit of turning off and unplugging electrical items when they’re not being used.
Go paperless
A letter from the bank, an electricity bill, a receipt. Pieces of paper that once received and read serve very little purpose, especially in a digital world where they remain easily available at a few clicks of a button. Taking the choice to go paperless can have a big impact on the environment. Most banks, utility providers and shops now give you the option to go paperless and have digital only access to this information. It also makes organising important documents a little less stressful too.
Mend and make do
We live in a time where so much of what we buy is disposable. Once something’s broken, we often replace that item instead of trying to fix it. This all contributes negatively to the environment. By taking an active step to mend and make do wherever possible, you’ll be doing your bit in reducing landfill and saving yourself money in the process. You may also enjoy learning a few new skills in the process!
Recycle as much as possible
By taking an active step to reuse items before throwing them away and recycling where possible, you’ll be doing your bit for the environment. This is a commonly discussed topic and isn’t likely to be new news to you. However, you can get a little experimental with this.
Upcycling furniture, for instance, is a great way of giving a new lease of life to old items and getting a little creative in the process.
Remove single-use plastics
Single-use plastics can have a terrible effect on the planet. We’ve all likely seen images of water bottles in the ocean or plastic bags dumped in woodland areas. Single-use plastics are often unnecessary and harmful at the same time. While you can’t control the amount of plastic used in food or packaging, you can control which items you choose to buy.
There are many sustainable household items that ditch the unnecessary use of plastic. Here are a few worth a mention:
- Laundry products (100% plastic free) – Smol
- Dishwasher tablets (100% plastic free) – Smol
- Loo roll (not wrapped in plastic delivered to your door) – Who Gives a Crap
- Recyclable [electric] toothbrush heads – Live Coco
However you look to approach this, reducing the amount of single-use plastic in your home will be a gamechanger for your carbon footprint and it will make you feel good too.
Switch to renewable energy providers
There’s been a large uptake of green energy providers in the UK. These companies provide you with energy from renewable sources like solar power or wind. If you have the means, you may even wish to install your own renewable energy source at home, like solar panels fitted to your roof.
Last Updated: November 1st, 2024
