Decrease your carbon footprint by being more energy-efficient at home

Whatever term you prefer; eco-friendly, sustainable, ‘green’, or energy-efficient, many of us are eager to decrease our carbon footprint in the world.

You can start by focusing on your own home. By taking just a few steps, you’ll help the environment - and help your wallet too!

Here are 5 key ways to become more eco-friendly:

1. Save Water

Saving water is key to creating a sustainable home. It usually involves changing habits and managing the wastage.

Here are some actions to consider:

• Take the time to fix leaky taps
• Don’t keep the water running while brushing teeth or shaving
• Install a low-flow showerhead
• Reuse water where possible (i.e. water plants with bath water)

2. Save Energy

Apart from water, you need to review the energy used in your household. How often are lights left on, long after family members have left the room? Do you really need to use air-conditioning all the time?

Here are some ideas to try:

• Install a smart meter- These can digitally measure your energy usage. Perfect for colder months, they can also function remotely and heat up your house just before you get out of bed or get home from work
• Change to energy-efficient light bulbs (like LEDs)- These bulbs use less electricity and last longer, meaning you don’t need to keep spending money to replace them.
• Install solar panels - Essential for any eco-friendly home, solar panels are a long-term investment. They provide you with clean electricity and allow you to sell some energy back to the grid.
• Look into insulation - A well-insulated house is more likely to maintain an ideal temperature. Try adding insulation to your roof, swapping to double-glazed windows and doors, and covering hardwood floors with rugs.
• Run ceiling fans instead of the air-conditioner - On really hot days, try to limit the amount of air-conditioning time.

3. Create your own compost

Creating your own compost is simple to do and gets the whole family involved.

Rather than throwing away your kitchen scraps and leftover foods, add them to a compost bin instead. You can keep one in your garden, balcony, or porch. They’re cheap and easy to find at your local Bunnings or gardening store. Then, add the compost to your eco-friendly garden!

Things that can be composted include:

• Fruit and vegetable peels
• Eggshells
• Ground coffee
• Bread

4. Buy recycled items

There are many ways to introduce recycled items into your home.

• Choose recycled paper for your printer
• Invest in an insulated stainless steel bottle for refilling - rather than purchasing a dozen water bottles from the supermarket.
• Buy second-hand furniture or furniture made from recycled materials

5. Choose eco-friendly cleaning products

You probably have a batch of cleaning products you’ve always used, without being fully aware of their harmful chemicals. However, when washed down the drain, these chemicals infect our water supply.

You can kill bacteria and create a grease and odour-free home by using natural cleaning products, such as:

• Vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Bicarbonate of soda

Steam cleaners are also great for disinfecting your house - no cleaning products required!

By following some or all the above tips, you’ll have an eco-friendly home in no time!

We're here to help

Do you want to make your current home eco-friendly or start from scratch with a new place? If you're ready to start the conversation sign up to Listing Loop today and discover "just listed" off-market ('secret') properties for sale that meet your criteria, like a big backyard with great potential for a sustainable veggie patch. 

And if you're particularly tired of house-hunting, we've even partnered with buyer advocates who can check out homes for you and organise sales assessments and negotiations.

Our off-market and pre-market marketplace gives you VIP access to properties so you can get in first.

Just sign up at Listing Loop or download our app.