There is no doubt that making simple changes in our everyday lives can reduce our impact on the environment.
Currently, around 15% of Scotland’s carbon emissions come from gas boilers in our homes being used for heating and hot water. However, cutting down on your carbon emissions and energy usage is much easier than you think.
From minimising household waste to installing eco-friendly heating solutions, there are plenty of ways to help reduce your impact on the environment, and if you’re looking to make a long-term investment, a heat pump could significantly reduce your bills and your carbon footprint.
Richard McLaren from The Natural Energy Company in Fife, which is part of eco-heating brand Daikin UK’s Sustainable Home Network, shares six easy tips to help you become more sustainable:
- Insulate and draught-proof your home
Insulation and draught-proofing your home are the most effective ways to save energy and costs, as your heating system will then need to use less energy to keep your home warm and cosy. You can stop cold air coming in and warm air escaping by using items draught excluders, which many high-street and online stores sell. Insulation of your home to as high a level as possible will result in lower bills and higher comfort levels.
- Swap your light bulbs to LEDs
Old school incandescent bulbs use up a lot of energy and are no longer manufactured. Instead of buying old stock, why not try using energy-saving LED lightbulbs? They are the most energy-efficient bulbs and use 90% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. There is no need to worry about brightness – they are just as good as other bulbs and can even save you money on your energy bills.
- Install a heat pump
Investing in a greener alternative to your oil or gas boiler, such as a heat pump, could significantly cut your heating bills and lower your carbon footprint. A well designed and skilfully installed heat pump system will save many tonnes of CO2 per year and is a fantastic way of reducing your carbon footprint.
Heat pumps are a well-established technology that can be installed efficiently and quickly into your home. Homeowners can also apply for an interest free loan through Home Energy Scotland to help with the installation of a heat pump, along with 75 per cent cashback to the value of £7,500, so now is the perfect time to consider switching to an eco-friendly alternative for heating.
- Reducing water usage
Typically, the less hot water you use, the lower your energy bills will be. There are many ways to reduce your household usage such as installing a timer that turns off your electric water heater at night or when it’s not in use. Simple changes such as turning off the tap when brushing your teeth, taking shorter showers, repairing leaking pipes and doing a cold clothes wash, will all help reduce the amount of water and energy you’re using.
- Consider eating less meat
Eating less meat is crucial for a healthy planet as meat production creates large quantities of greenhouse gases. Reducing meat and moving to a more plant based diet will make a positive contribution to combating climate change, and will reduce soil, air and ocean pollution.
- Recycle, Refill and Reuse
The main benefit of recycling is that it saves energy by reducing or eliminating the need to make more materials from scratch. Brush up on your local council’s recycling rules and investigate local refill stations where you can refill your cleaning products and food containers, therefore removing any packaging or additional waste. Investigate eco alternatives to chemical based cleaning products which further harm the environment.