By Tips and Tricks to implement within your household to help reduce your carbon footprint and live a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle!
There are many steps you and your family can take within your home to reduce your carbon footprint. Not only can these initiatives reduce the negative impact your home has on the environment, it can also reduce your energy bills and result in massive economic savings.
Within NSW, a BASIX certification is essential for all new projects, as it aims to reduce greenhouse gas and water consumption. Obtaining a BASIX certificate means your residential building will have passed the NSW government’s environmental target.
There are both structural and behavioural changes that can be made within the home to reduce your carbon footprint.
Structural changes can include:
- Insulation
Investing in insulation for your floors, walls and ceilings can assist in keeping your home a comfortable temperature all year round. It reduces homeowner’s reliance on heating and cooling systems by helping to keep the cool air inside in summer, and the cold air out in winter.
- Upgrade to double-glazed windows and doors
Double glazing is an effective way to further maximise your thermal comfort through minimising the negative impact windows have on the insulation of your home. Windows tend to work against heating and cooling systems, however double-glazed windows are able to work as a form of insulation, keeping the heat out in summer and letting it in during the winter.
- Update your hot water system
If your home is older and still has it’s original hot water system than it’s possible it may use more energy than all of your electrical appliances combined.
- Install a solar power system
Although a large investment at first, a solar power system has many long-term benefits for both the home owner and the environment. However, to make things financially easier, many solar power providers provide payment plans to encourage homeowners.
Behavioural changes:
- Unplug your appliances when not in use
A lot of energy is consumed when appliances are left plugged into a socket even when they are not in use. Turning off your power outlets by the wall can assist in lowering your energy bills and carbon footprint. It’s a behavioural change that may take time adjusting too, however once you see the significant economic benefits of this habit, switching off will become routine.
- Recycle your waste
Recycling your plastic and paper uses less energy and reduces the need to produce new resources.
- Close your curtains
In winter, close your curtains at night to stop heat escaping. During the summer time, on days of extreme heat, close your curtains to reduce the amount of heat entering your home through your windows.
- Dry your clothes outside!
Electric tumble dryers use huge amounts of energy. Drying your clothes outside reduces your overall energy consumption and is also better for your clothes!
- Switch off that second fridge!
Fridges use the most electricity compared to any other appliance in the household. Older fridges are a lot less energy efficient than new fridges, so only switch on the old fridge in the garage if it is really necessary.
- Throw away less!
Food wastage is a major issue within Australia. Australians threw away $5.3 billion worth of food in 2004. You will reduce greenhouse emissions and save money if you buy what you need and eat what you buy.
All of these tips can assist in hitting the sustainability performance targets of the NSW government of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40%.
The team at Certified Energy can assist your project in achieving optimum energy efficiency. Contact us now to acquire your BASIX or Section J report!
