Low, Medium or High: Your Budget and Sustainable Living

Sustainable living is attainable whatever your budget is. In fact, it is possible to create a cleaner environment and have fewer carbon dioxide emissions with simple lifestyle changes. It can be as easy as switching off electronics, walking or using public transport, or vacationing closer to home. You can go a little further by buying energy-efficient appliances or adding more insulation to your property.

It is best to start at your home and adopt a few greener habits for sustainable living and minimised impact on the environment.

Low

Appliances left on standby still uses power. This is why it is best to turn them off at the plug. The best part is, you can save about £45 to £80 annually by doing so. When it comes to water bills, you can save more by installing a water-efficient showerhead. This is also beneficial if your shower produces hot water straight from the tank.

Other low-cost saving tips include:

• Set washing machine at 30°C
• Clean full loads with dishwasher and washing machine
• Recycle household items

Medium

Save more on your heating bills by having new heating controls that will allow you to set when hot water should come on and off. This will also allow you to heat the areas you prefer and decide on the temperature in each room. You may not know it, but installing a programmer or a room thermostat could help you save about £70 to £150 each year.

Here are a few more ways:

• Fit low energy light bulbs
• Add loft insulation
• Draught proof windows and doors

High

For greater savings and lower carbon footprint, install solar PV panels. Whilst the Feed-in-Tariff is much lower, the average cost of electricity today is increasing. The panels may also be expensive initially, but solar PV installers say these can help you save more in the long run. It is also good to explore other renewable technology like heat pumps.

If you have extra money to spare, consider:

• Add cavity wall insulation
• Buy energy-efficient appliances
• Install domestic wind turbines (if you live in a windy area)

These are just a few ways to adopt sustainable living and lower carbon footprint. Research for other ways and be sure to include it in your daily lifestyle.