You know you should be doing more to save the planet, but it’s expensive, right?
Not necessarily. In fact, it’s pretty easy to reduce your carbon footprint without breaking the bank, and even if you can’t do everything on this list, just doing one or two things will make a tremendous difference for future generations.
Getting Started
So how does one go about reducing their carbon footprint? Well, there are many ways, but let’s start with some of the simplest and most attainable changes right in your own home.
Start To Grow Your Own Food
This is the most basic way to reduce your carbon footprint at home, while also saving money.
All you need to do to start growing your own food is buy a soil test kit and some seeds. Once you have these things, you can start planting your own food!
There are tons of websites that offer recipes for just about any type of produce from leafy greens to tomatoes, herbs, and even fruit trees.
To get started growing your garden, check out some coupon codes available for gardeners.com to save some money.
Walk or Cycle More
An even easier way to reduce the amount of carbon in your life is simply by driving less and making different choices.
It’s easy to feel like you can’t live without your car, but if you shift some of your driving around and decide to try walking or biking, it can be a pretty easy transition.
Recycle
Recycling is a habit that’s not always easy to pick up, but you should start putting more attention into it and sorting your trash correctly.
When done properly, recycling can cut down on the amount of trash you send to landfill and make it easier for trash pickup.
Take Public Transportation
In some areas where public transit is available or there are carpool options, taking the bus or train once or twice a week can help reduce your carbon footprint.
It also helps save on gas and vehicle costs, even if it’s just $10 a week. You can also join organizations that allow you to borrow vehicles instead of having to buy your own.
Reduce Your Meat Consumption
You don’t have to become a vegetarian to reduce your carbon footprint but cutting back on meat consumption is an excellent way to lower your carbon footprint while also saving money. It also cuts back on the amount of methane you’re releasing into the atmosphere.
It’s an easy habit to get into, especially if you’re in it for the dollars.
Installing a smart thermostat and putting on extra layers are actually good ideas. But nevertheless, your heating system requires regular maintenance to work efficiently. First of all, remember to replace air filters regularly. Also, seal any cracks where hot or cold air could seep through, and ensure that heater pipes and ductwork are adequate insulated to keep your energy expenses from ballooning.
These tasks are necessary in order to reduce energy consumption.
By the way, if you get your hot water from a hot water storage tank, you also need to insulate it. Insulation with an R-value of at least 24 is preferable. This could reduce heat loss by up to 45% and save you around 10% in water heating costs.
That’s a valuable addition. We have a DIY guide to water heater insulation and want to share it: https://servicetoday247.com/how-to-install-water-heater-insulation/.
Hopefully, someone will find it helpful 🙂
I completely agree with you. It is also best to install quality pipes and radiators. It is best to visit the official radiator outlet website for the sale of radiators. Experts in this field will help you choose the right pipes, radiators, and valves. Which will serve you for a long time. This will allow you to save money. In the future, you will not have to pay the plumber. You will install everything correctly and with a guarantee.
You can drastically reduce your carbon footprint by switching to solar-powered appliances. Of course, it can be expensive to replace all the appliances in the house. But you can start small. E.g., if you have security cameras, consider replacing them with a solar-powered wireless option. Not only do this will help you minimize your negative impact on the environment, but it also will give an additional level of home safety. The thing is, wireless cameras are less susceptible to physical damage by criminals.
Using energy-efficient air conditioning systems can also make your home more eco-friendly. For this, look into appliances with a high SEER rating and ENERGY STAR labeling.
Also, please remember to check recent changes of efficiency standards for HVAC systems. These changes are legally effective from January 1, 2023.
Thank you for the reminder! I only want to add that new minimum efficiency requirements differ depending on the area you live in.
In this article, you can find a map and find out “your minimum”: https://polestarplumbing.com/news-media/upcoming-changes-of-efficiency-standards-for-hvac-systems.
Thanks for the valuable addition. I agree that using high-efficient SEER rated appliances can greatly improve home’s energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint.
However, even if you don’t have the new high-efficient equipment such as heaters and air conditioners, you can drastically improve the efficiency of your system by doing regular maintenance. Even such a thing as clean air conditioner filter can make a big difference. The good news is that changing a filter is pretty easy, and you can do it yourself just for 5-10 minutes. But if you have never done this, for the first time, you can hire an HVAC contractor to show you how to do it correctly.