Your Home Defined
Why is it important to be green in the home?
It's important to be green in the home because households use 30% of all of the energy produced in the UK. Climate change is a global problem, but there are lots of things individuals can do within their homes that can make a big difference.
What are the different ways that you can make your home a more environmentally friendly place?
You can make your home a more environmentally friendly place by remembering the 3 R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. For example, Reduce, reduce your energy consumption by remembering to turn off the light every time you leave the room. Reuse, reuse your washing up water to rinse out tins and cans for recycling. And Recycle, recycle everything you possibly can, from batteries, to textiles, to glass bottles.
Does it take a long time to implement green measures in the home?
It does not take a long time to implement green measures in the home. it simply involves swapping one behaviour for another. When you walk out the door to go buy your food, take a bag with you to carry your groceries instead of taking a plastic bag from the shops. When you go to throw out a tin, throw it in the recycling bin instead of the rubbish bin. When you go to buy a new lightbulb, buy an energy-efficient lightbulb instead of a standard lightbulb. All these changes are very easy to make and they do not take a lot of time, and in the end they might actually save you money.
Does it cost a lot of money to be environmentally friendly in the home?
It doesn't cost a lot of money to be environmentally friendly in the home. Actually implementing small changes in the home will save you money in the long run. If you line your curtains, it will help reduce your heating bill; if you turn off the tap while you're brushing your teeth, you'll conserve water; if you switch your light bulbs for energy efficient models, that will save you money on your energy bill. So it's very easy to save money in the home, by implementing small, sustainable measures.
I don't own my home, are there still changes I can make to lower my household emissions?
Even if you don't own your own home, there are lots of things you can do in the house to reduce your emissions. Put in energy efficient light bulbs. Recycle all of your waste. Conserve water by installing a rain bucket to collect the water and water your garden with that water instead of from the sink. Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. You can even talk to your landlord to find out if there are some things he might be willing to do, such as installing cavity wall insulation. You don't really know until you ask, and even if he says no at least you've raised his awareness on the issue.
Is it more environmentally friendly to live alone or cohabit?
Typically, it's more environmentally friendly to cohabit than to live alone. If you're heating up the oven to cook dinner, you can cook it for multiple people, you're gonna have lights on in less rooms and, typically, your energy and your waste bills are going to be reduced. But if you do live alone, there's still plenty of energy efficiency measures and waste reduction measures that you can put into place to bring your carbon footprint below average.
