Sustainability is a big buzzword these days but what does it actually mean for you and your home? In this article, we’re going to have a look. More and more people are realizing the advantages of having a self-sufficient, energy neutral home that could even earn you some money in the process. Whether you’re building your own home, there are plenty of options available to you at a number of different price points.
Firstly, let’s have a look at why sustainability is so good for your home and more.
How sustainability is good for the environment and your finances
Lots of people decide to shun eco-friendly sustainable homes because they don’t really care that much about the environment. That might be a sad state of affairs, but it’s not uncommon. One real benefit to self-sustainability is that you can actually save money. In some cases, you could even earn money.
Hopefully, you do care about the environment, but you also care about your finances. If you can generate your own energy and keep more of what you generate, you won’t have to pay for as much. With energy prices skyrocketing in recent years, this should put you in a favorable position. It’ll also mean you’re less reliant on energy providers and could even go off-grid.
But if you want to stay on the grid, you might find you can actually make a profit on your energy. If you generate enough by yourself, power companies will pay you for the surplus. That means you can heat and power your home bill-free but also make a bit of extra cash on the side.
Get high-quality insulation
If your home was built to be as cheap as possible, as many development properties are – it could be costing you lots per year in lost energy. And that means higher bills. Newer, high-quality insulation can help your home store more heat and dramatically reduce energy bills. It should also lower your emissions. In some areas, authorities are providing incentives for homeowners to upgrade their insulation, so you could get it done on the cheap.
Consider solar paneling
Solar panels do have quite large up-front costs, but they should pay for themselves over the long run. As costs go down, they become even more appealing. If you live in the right area, they could be a great choice for your energy production needs.
Capture your rain water
Aside from generating energy and reducing electricity costs, you might also want to reduce water costs. if you can collect your own and treat it, you could even drink it. Having a good source of water could make your home even more efficient. The right rain gutter could help you achieve this and more.
Consider wind turbines
These might be more appropriate if you live somewhere windy, but they’re a similar proposal to solar panels.
Get new windows
Similarly to improving your insulation, better quality windows will keep more of your energy in and reduce power costs. They could also reduce noise pollution and add value to your home.
