Most of us believe that the environment around us in need of our care. We think that: but we’re not always that good at doing something about it. For many of us, it can seem like older and less eco-friendly ways of doing things may not be ideal, but they are at least easier and cheaper than using environmentally friendly building products or worrying about trends in LED lighting prices. In reality, though, there are a lot of ways you can make your home compatible with a green lifestyle without breaking the bank or even straining your wallet. In fact, a lot of green building products and eco friendly flooring options, lighting solutions, and plumbing fixtures will actually save you money in the end. Here’s a short list of just four things your family can do to cut costs while also protecting our Earth.
- Get dual flush technology and eco friendly shower heads to cut down on water waste. Did you know that the average family spends more than $1000 every year in water costs? The average American is using 88 gallons of water every day in their home. It only makes sense to install fixtures that will let you use less water. Dual flush products allow you to use more or less water with each toilet flush depending on need. A low-flow showerhead pressurizes the water that’s coming into it and delivers it to the person using the shower in such a way that pressure is maintained while still using less water. The average family could save approximately $380 of their water bill every year by replacing their fixtures with those carrying the WaterSense label, as well as using appliances with the ENERGY STAR certification. In fact, the average family will save 13,000 gallons of toilet water and $130 from their bill every year just by replacing inefficient toilets.
- Dry your clothes on the line. Dryers are so energy inefficient that there are none on the market that even come with an ENERGY STAR rating. That’s how bad they are in terms of energy consumption and waste. There may be some times of year where, depending upon your climate, you have no choice but to use your dryer or allow your clothes to go moldy. But for most of us, at least some of the year we can be putting our clothes out on the line to dry, saving ourselves money and saving our environment from wasted energy use.
- Keep up with the trends in LED lighting prices. If you replace your current light bulbs with LED lights, you can save hundreds and even thousands of dollars over the lifespan of the bulbs. Look for sales in LED lighting prices, and prepare yourself for an initial investment that will pay off in big dividends of saved energy and money later down the line.
- Use environmentally friendly products in your construction. These include low and no VOC paints, varnishes, and stains. It also includes things like insulation, eco-friendly wood floors, and low VOC sealants and adhesives. Non-toxic furniture finishes and solvent free adhesives not only much less toxic for the environment but are much less toxic for you. People who are exposed to indoor pollution are at greater risk for developing allergies and asthma. This is especially true of children. In fact, the people who are generally most susceptible to pollution, the very old and the very young, or those with heart disease or lung disease, spend more time indoors than they do out. Yet the average indoor concentration of pollutants is usually 2 to 5 times greater than outdoor levels. While some of these products may be an initial investment, there is no calculating the worth of protecting yourself and your family from had health problems down the line.
There are a lot more things that you could do, from installing a programmable thermostat to keeping the coils on your refrigerator clean. All of these things, from LED lighting prices to ENERGY STAR appliances, not only save the environment but also save you money.