How to Upgrade Your Home to Make It More Environmentally Friendly

Sometimes trends are just passing fads, but we’re super pleased that the eco-friendly home trend has staying power! We at Furnishr care about environmentally friendly homes, and we encourage you to give your business to designers and businesses that value our planet.

So, let’s look at a few ways that people around the world are making their homes more environmentally friendly! And be sure to look at these tips for making your home more feng shui. If you want to start a conversation about how to apply eco-friendly furnishing in your own space, then book a free consultation with us. We’d love to chat with you.

Work Towards a Net-Zero Home

In California, an emerging trend is net-zero homes. In fact, California’s legislature has mandated that all new residential buildings be net-zero by next year. All the energy these eco-friendly homes consume is created through renewable energy. You can take steps yourself to turn your home into a net-zero home, especially if you live in a sun abundant region. You can combine energy-efficient appliances with solar panels and other new technologies, like double and triple glazed argon gas windows. Even if you’re on the city electrical grid, installing solar panels could supply all your home’s energy needs. If your solar energy system produces more power than you need, you can send that energy back to the grid! The rates you earn for returning the extra power are generally the same as the rates you would pay per kWh to the utility company.

Even if you live in a sun-poor region, you still have many eco-friendly design options. Lots of companies can help you retrofit your home to be more energy-efficient. Check with your utility company or community renewable energy groups to explore options.

Buy Natural Recycled Furniture

The environmental problems caused by cheap, fast fashion are making people think twice about which furniture they bring into their homes. Australians lead the way when it comes to buying chic, recycled furniture instead of going to big brand furniture stores. In an interview with Australian Furniture Association CEO Patrizia Torelli, she explains a growing awareness among Australians about this issue. People know more about the danger to the environment that comes with buying cheaply and poorly manufactured furniture. In response, more and more green furniture companies are sprouting up and producing furniture that is eco-friendly and sustainable. What is eco-friendly furniture? It is furniture that is made from recycled or reclaimed wood, iron, glass, and other eco- friendly materials. You’re still buying a new product, but it’s sourced from sustainable materials and free from harmful chemicals.

If you are looking to furnish a space, you have a wonderful opportunity to use eco-friendly furniture! Ask your designers to choose furniture that is environmentally friendly. That doesn’t mean it can’t also be stylish and high-quality! No matter where you are in the world, we promise you’ll find great options if you start to look under these criteria.

Replace Your Old Boilers

What was efficient a few years ago is probably not up to the latest standards. Many homeowners in the United Kingdom are replacing their inefficient old boilers with new energy-efficient ones. Shout Out UK explains you should take care of your appliances and replace them when they become outdated. This helps you save money in the long term to have an environmentally friendly home. UK plumbing experts HomeServe note how a common sign that a boiler needs replacing is when you’ve had the current model for a long period of time. If you have never changed your boiler, or you’ve had it for over 10 years, it is most likely not producing heat as efficiently as it should.

Install a Smart Water Meter

Water is a precious commodity everywhere in the world, and this is especially true in places like Singapore. With water conservation as a fundamental ethos of the tiny island city-state, every effort is made to save water. This is a notion we can all get behind! Singapore’s national water agency (PUB) plans to install 300,000 smart meters so that it can keep track of water usage much more efficiently. Unlike traditional meters, the Strait Times points out that users can keep tabs on their consumption in real-time on their phones. The water agency reads the usage several times a day. You can apply this principle in your own home. A smart water meter allows you to keep an eye on your water supply and to conserve more water and cut your utility bills. It’s a great way to empower regulars folks to use water in a more thoughtful manner.

Good for The Planet, Good for Your Pocketbook

Overall, this kind of design philosophy is good for the planet and has economic benefits, too! Environmentally friendly homes can help you reduce your energy consumption and lower utility costs in the long run, whether you’re renting it out on Airbnb or living in it yourself.

Eco-friendly homes are becoming popular all over the world as people grow more and more conscious of their impact on the planet.

The good news is that, today, advancements in technology and lower prices make it easier than ever to be eco-friendly. New, energy-efficient homes use renewable energy as well as sustainable, natural materials. In fact, we wrote a whole post about how to use natural elements to create a calming mood in your home. Natural elements also contribute to an environmentally friendly home!