Make your home eco-friendly

Climate change has never been more of an issue than in 2020. With this in mind, Katy Lelliott tells you about changes you can make in your home to become more eco-friendly

Being eco-friendly has never been more important.

As climate change continues to ravage the planet, there are many ways that you can adapt your lifestyle and your home to help the planet.

A 2016 United Nations report found that human consumption of Earth’s natural resources has tripled over the last four decades, with oxygen depletion and the depletion of crucial resources such as clean drinking water now a very real threat.

So, not only can going eco-friendly help to save the environment and improve your health but it can also save you money – which is always an added bonus.

Implementing some eco-friendly alternatives in your home could help reduce your electricity and water bills.

The U.K. is making many changes to try and become more eco-friendly.

These include the increasing number of smart meters installed in homes, plastic straws being ditched at many major restaurants and food chains, and a charge for the use of plastic bags in supermarkets. Many of the ways that you can make your home more eco-friendly do not require a huge amount of money, so they are attainable little steps that everyone can take to (Credit: RoadLight) help end climate change.

So, let’s get into it: here’s the top ways you can make your home more eco-friendly.

Firstly, turn your washing

Up to 90% of the energy used by a washing machine is used to make the water hot.

You can save energy by putting your washing machine on its cold-water setting.

Doing this reduces the carbon dioxide you’re emitting.

Alongside this, skip putting your clothes onto a spin dry and put them to hang out on the line.

Admittedly, this may not be the best solution during the dreary Winter months, but

the Spring and Summer are perfect seasons to dry your clothes the old-fashioned way – and do your bit for the planet at the same time.

The next thing you can do to make your home more eco-friendly is keep an eye

Energy-saving lightbulbs are a much better – and eco-friendly – alternative to regular lightbulbs.

LED bulbs also last longer and help keep your electricity bill down as they use around 75% less energy than a regular bulb.

An average of 95% of energy in LED lightbulbs is actually converted into light, with only 5% wasted in heat.

This is compared to fluorescent lights which convert 95% of energy into heat, and only the other 5% into light.

Changing your lightbulbs to be more eco-friendly is beneficial because less energy use decreases greenhouse gas emissions.

Another way to do your bit for the planet is to get a

At this time of year, a lot of energy and money is wasted by people keeping their heating on when they don’t need it, for example when they leave the house.

By getting yourself a smart meter, you could be saving yourself money AND taking steps to becoming more eco-friendly.

Smart meters can be programmed to only turn on and off at certain points of the day, ensuring no wasted energy or money.

By this year, all homes and businesses across Great Britain will have been offered a smart meter.

Most smart meters include an In-Home Display which tells you exactly how much energy you’re using and how much it’s costing you – some even tell you how much carbon dioxide you’re producing from your usage.

Another more extreme - but effective - way to make your home more eco-friendly is to go vegan.

A 2018 study by Oxford University and Agroscope, an agriculture research institute in Switzerland, found that avoiding meat and dairy products is the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact on the planet.

Opting for a vegan diet contributes to a reduction in energy consumption, decreasing air pollution, and can also make you healthier.

However, if the vegan lifestyle is not for you, you can still make some small changes to help contribute to the planet by trying to cut down on your meat intake and buying from British and local grass-reared sources.

If you’re looking for a way to make your garden more eco-friendly, while also providing a way to escape the stresses of your daily life, then take up gardening and

Not only does gardening help to reduce carbon dioxide, it also provides an opportunity to grow your own fruits and vegetables for a more environmentally-friendly approach to food.

In the U.K., fruits and vegetables can travel from all over the world before ending up covered in plastic packaging on our supermarket shelves.

Not only does the plastic cause huge damage to the environment as a lack of recycling results in it ending up in landfill or our oceans, but the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides commonly found in growing fruits and vegetables can have a detrimental effect on your health.

Growing your own fruits and vegetables can also reduce the carbon footprint associated with food grown hundreds of miles away.

There’s also the mental health benefits associated with gardening, as taking up the hobby can help to combat stress and anxiety.

A very simple but effective tip for making your home more eco-friendly is to turn

It’s estimated that televisions are left on standby for an average of 17 hours per day.

This includes time when people are out at work or in bed sleeping, and therefore unnecessarily using up electricity that they are not actually consuming.

According to uSwitch.com, The Energy Savings Trust states that up to £80 a year is wasted in the average home due to appliances left on standby.

Turning off your plug sockets when not in use can save you electricity, as well as saving you a significant amount on your electricity bills. Another thing to consider is getting yourself an extension lead for your plugs.

By using a multi-socket extension lead, and turning it off when not in use, you could reduce the energy consumption of your home by up to 15%.