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However depressing it might be to think about the threat to our favourite green and blue planet, you will be pleased to hear that there are actually some more significant changes you can make that won’t cramp your lifestyle. While you might think of these changes as quite drastic, it is better to see them as they are: investments in sustainable living that will last a long time.
If you are willing, then your home is the ideal location to put some big changes in place and inspire your neighbors to do the same. With just 3 changes, your fuel gobbling home will become an energy efficient example of modern living.
Lay a Concrete Floor
Now, you might think this is controversial because concrete isn’t usually held up for it’s environmentally friendly features. The arguments on both sides are complex, so concrete really is one of the more controversial materials you can use on a green build. However – and this is the key bit of information you need – concrete is an incredibly durable material that will lock in heat for winter and keep you cool in summer. This means that while you might be causing some damage initially, over the long term, this solution could actually be better for the environment. You won’t need to turn the aircon up so high in summer or the heating on in winter because the thermal mass of the concrete will regulate the temperature of your house year-round.
A polished concrete floor isn’t to everyone’s taste but at the moment, industrial chic is everywhere and this flooring solution really fits in with that trend. Plus, there are all sorts of finishes you could go for to add a bit of glitz and glam to your pad. One site well worth a look is https://www.concretecrib.com.au/. They specialise in all sorts of concrete wonders such as furniture, pools and slabs and can certainly explain all the benefits of this unlikely material.
Add Solar Panels
Producing your own green energy is the ideal way to improve your home’s environmental credentials and invest in a future of cheaper energy. It may be quite a large upfront cost, but installing solar panels will drastically reduce your energy bills in the long run and you could even make money from your unused energy by selling it back to the grid.
Solar panels are low maintenance, only needing checking over once a year to ensure they are working at maximum capacity. They are also easy to install, completely silent and happy to sit up on your roof facing the sun. Obviously, the more roof space you have, the more solar panels can be placed up there and there’s no reason you can’t expand your personal solar farm as you go.
Add a Low Flow Shower Head
Energy is not the only commodity stretching our environment to capacity – clean water is also an issue. We tend not to really think about the amount of water we pour away each day using appliances like the dishwasher or taking long steamy showers in the morning. However, the average shower uses up a whopping 20 litres a minute – that’s a grand total of 100,000 litres per person per year!
But there is a deceptively simple solution that means you can continue to enjoy a 10 minute shower without feeling too guilty. A low flow shower head increases the water pressure so that you use less water but still get the power you want to blast through those soap suds.
Low flow technology is rapidly gaining popularity and doesn’t only work in the shower. The washing machine, dishwasher and other appliances can also make use of this technology to reduce your water consumption and your bills as well! In fact, by 2021, Australians will be saving $1billion in water and energy costs just by using low flow tech.
Making your house more environmentally friendly quite often has the added advantage of reducing household bills as well as giving you that feel good feeling that comes with knowing that you are living with nature rather than exploiting it. You don’t have to make all of these changes but just one will really make a difference.