Hey everyone! I can’t believe we are already on week 7! I hope you all have had some fun in the past week repurposing some old items and being creative! This week’s topic is perhaps not as fun, but even more important. This may be something you all can keep in mind for when you own your own home and are settled adults (that sounds crazy, I know). Or, maybe some of you would be interested in talking to your parents about making their home more environmentally friendly. Either way, I hope this information is interesting, even if it is not entirely applicable to your lives right now. A lot of the suggestions I have in this post have been mentioned in previous posts, but this sums it all up to make your whole home environmentally friendly.
One way our homes suck up energy is through our appliances. Older appliances can be incredibly inefficient and this wastes energy and money! Newer appliances can be much better for the environment, such as the line of Energy Star appliances. They have every appliance you could need like dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers, refrigerators, ceiling fans, and smart thermostats. Since 1992, Energy star has helped save families and businesses over $450 billion in energy costs (About Energy Star) That is an incredible amount of resources saved and pollution prevented.
Solar panels are a great investment as well. They can be expensive up front but will save you money in the long run on your energy bill. This website will help you decide what solar panels are best for you and you can buy them directly from the same website!
Another important way to conserve energy in your home is to insulate your attic and basement. A lot of energy is wasted heating and cooling your home if it is not properly insulated. No one wants their money seeping out of the attic! Also, be sure to check out the eco-friendly insulators that are made from recycled newspapers! It’s a two in one investment! Along the same lines, insulating windows is a great idea to save energy as well. You can use caulking or weather stripping to keep air from seeping out or in.
To save more water, replace your old toilet. Traditional toilets use up to 6 gallons of water per flush! Try switching to a WaterSense (Like EnergyStar, but for water) toilet, which only use 1.28 gallons per flush. This website can tell you more about WaterSense toilets and how to buy them!
Alright everyone, that does it for this week. These projects are not something that should be done all at once, so don’t worry if it seems too labor intensive or expensive. It can take months or years to entirely convert a home to be eco-friendly. But one thing is for sure- it will all be worth it in the end! See you next week!
Wow! Your style is so lively and inviting that even though I do not have any appliances I feel the need to buy eco-friendly ones. I think your style has improved and that is amazing. Over time I think these posts become easier and we start to enjoy them much more. Keep up the good work!