While it’s good to promote your family, friends, and community to be more climate-conscious, it is important that you, yourself, practice what you preach. You should lead by way of shrinking your carbon footprint and making climate-friendlier household decisions. People might expect this, and they ought to. Furthermore, it will allow you to realize the intricacies of sustainable living for the New Year to come and better inform your decisions. What are some ways you can adapt to establish a home that is environment-friendly for the year 2018 and, perhaps, cut cost? Here’s how you can practice climate change in your home. 1. Evaluate your present consumption and set a goal Calculate how much energy you used this year 2017 by taking a look at your utility bills and establishing a particular goal for reducing it: for instance, 10 percent in six months. 2. Audit your home Search your house for opportunities to attain your objective. Inspect each room, making an inventory of everything that’s plugged in. Look for and note some outright energy drains, like drafts. Consider having a professional to conduct a much more thorough evaluation, including inspecting major appliances and identifying regions that are lacking insulation. The Department of Energy estimates that following an expert auditor’s recommendations for efficiency upgrades may lead to saving up to 30 percent on your electricity bill. 3. Search for ways to save Heating, cooling, and hot water. There are simple techniques to lower the cost. During the cold months, we opt to use the hot shower or heaters in the morning. Use a programmable thermostat and ensure that your water heater is insulated against heat loss. You may want to go further and invest in new, more efficient methods, which can frequently save more cash. Or why not just take cold showers, it is cost-efficient and has lots of health benefits. Any location with an outlet The average household owns dozens of consumer electronic equipment, which add up to 12 percent of a home’s electricity use. Consider updating to more efficient possibilities, like switching to environment-friendly air conditioners and refrigerators. You may consider lessening electrical outlets so as not to encourage more plugins of electrical devices. At the garden Planting the appropriate trees around your house will help clean the air–and can add valuable shade that can reduce energy bills. Tree cover can obviously trim summer air-conditioning bills by up to 35 percent. Consider starting a compost pile, which helps save the energy used to transfer food waste and keeps decaying organic matter from leading methane emissions to a landfill. Reducing gasoline/fuel use First, leave the car behind as frequently as possible. Additionally, there are several approaches to improve your carbon footprint when using your car, such as avoiding idling and maintaining your tires inflated to the ideal pressure, which may save as much as 10 percent on gasoline. When it is time to replace your present vehicle, choose a more efficient option, a more environment-friendly one. 4. Make the change Finally, you need to begin by asking yourself what are the necessary adjustments you can do in your home. By evaluating your house and planning thoroughly the changes you will make, you will not only promote a healthy and environment-friendly home, you can also enjoy the benefits of cutting the bills and spending your money on more important things. Source: Psst.PH | 29 December 2017