In today’s climate of surging power bills and the fight against global warming, there are a number of strategies we can employ to make our houses eco-friendly, which not only reduces your impact on the environment but also can equate to substantial savings in the long term.
If you’re building with RIBA homes, you’re building your dream home from the ground up providing the perfect opportunity to do it right from the get go! Although the upfront costs can be more, the long-term benefits and savings prove a solid investment. Our team have some great options and ideas to help save on your bills and your conscience.
So here it is, our top tips for creating an eco-friendly home.
1. Water saving mechanisms – gone are the days where a water saver shower meant a dribbling, completely unsatisfactory shower experience. We now live in a beautiful world of premium shower heads that save water but maintain pressure. Our favourites are X and Y, both of which are available as upgrades in your brand new RIBA Home. You can also install low flow faucets, water efficient toilets and low water usage washing machines and dishwashers.
2. Eco-friendly lighting – LED light bulbs cost more upfront but use less energy and will last longer than traditional incandescent light bulbs. As such, they offer significant savings in the long run and are an easy application for any home looking to up their green game
3. Solar Panels – the current talk of the town, and for good reason. Solar energy is a clean and renewable source of energy that allows you to utilise the natural power of sunlight. While there are upfront costs associated with this technology, they are outweighed by the long term saving of reducing energy consumption and the potential to supply excess energy. Not to mention the government incentives for those who choose to install this environmentally friendly technology in their home. In our minds, it’s a no-brainer!
4. Quality Insulation – did you know that heating and cooling account for up to 50%* of your homes energy consumption? Investing in quality insulation from the get go can result in considerable savings when it comes to paying the electricity bill – especially with the rapid rate of increasing energy prices. An additional measure you can take is investing in blackout curtains or high-quality shutters. Both keep heat out during the warmer months and let it in during the cooler months, plus they can be a beautiful feature in your new home.
5. Energy efficient appliances – an initiative by the national and state governments, the Energy Star rating has been a very successful initiative. It’s worth looking at the energy star label that comes with each piece of equipment, indicating the level of consumption that appliance needs to run. The higher the star rating, the more energy efficient the appliance and the less it will cost to run in the long term while maintaining performance.
6. Programmable Thermostat – so simple but so effective. We already know that up to 50%* of energy consumption comes from heating and cooling our home. The simplest way to cut down these costs and reduce electricity bills is to manage the use of home air conditioning. By installing a programmable thermostat, you can have the air conditioning turn off when it reaches a desired temperature and back on as the house begins to warm up or cool down. Did you know that a slight change of up to 5%* on your bill can be saved with every 1 degree down in the winter and 1 degree up in the summer?
*All statistics are sourced from Conserve Energy Future and can be found on their website www.conserve-energy-future.com.
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/top-15-green-home-building-techniques-and-ideas.php
