
As levels of pollution increase, and global warming continues to be a very real threat, maybe it’s time for us to rethink the way we live, and the actions we can take to ensure that our planet is healthy for future generations.
Reasonable progress has been made over the past few decades in ensuring that homes are better insulated and more energy-efficient. Below, we’ve listed 5 simple actions to help you make your new or existing home more eco-friendly and create a living space that helps ensure a better environment for generations to come.
1. the first and most simple ways of reducing the home’s negative environmental impact is to make sure windows and doors are as draught-proof as possible. This will help keep heat in and reduce the demand on your central heating boiler. If you have decided to change your windows then ‘coated’ double or even triple-glazed windows will go a long way to preventing heat loss. Wood framed windows are amongst the best insulated, and can help you reduce costs on heating bills, and help the environment with wasted energy.
2. The careful positioning of windows (larger on the south and smaller on the north) (and with care, roof skylights or roof domes) could help you reduce the use of electricity during daylight hours as you channel natural light into your home. Be sure to use energy-saving lightbulbs and fittings – and ask your energy provider for one of the new generation of smart meters (they are free) so you can monitor all your energy use and save money at the same time!
3. Around 25% of heat lost from buildings goes through the roof. To minimise this and save you money you need to ensure that you have a good thick layer of insulation in the roof space or loft. if you have flat or low-pitched roofs then choose rubber based roof coverings rather than bitumen felt. Rubber roofing materials are also ideal as a base layer beneath green roofing such as grass or sphagnum moss, which not only provides environmental benefits, but also adds an extra layer of insulation and protection from the elements (sun and wind lift) to your home.
4. Another great way of giving the environment a helping hand is to harvest rainwater – this can be done in a number of ways – some simple and some quite complicated. if your property is on a water meter then it will reduce your water bills and supplement your mains supply. It may also have a direct, positive impact on the ground-water levels of your area. It is plausible to use a metal such as aluminium for such a project, but the longevity and relatively zero polluting effect of rubber roofing would ensure a safe, clean, and fresh supply of water for your water butts and garden.
5. Perhaps the most therapeutic and rewarding methods of creating a sustainable home is to ensure it has a ‘fruitful’ and productive garden. By growing your own fruit and vegetables where possible or even just buying locally grown food you can do your bit to reduce the ‘air miles’ of food that we eat. You’ll also be supporting local industry and of course, saving money!
There’s a lot to think about, and even more to do when it comes to building or remodelling a sustainable home for the future. Hopefully, with these tips you’ll be armed with the ideas to play your role in ensuring the vitality of our environment long into the future.
Created in collaboration with Rubber4Roofs.