As we step into a new year, many of us look for ways to make positive changes in our lives—and what better place to start than at home? Small, affordable changes can make a significant impact on the sustainability of your home. Whether you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint, save money on utility bills, or create a healthier environment for your family, there are simple and effective ways to integrate sustainability into your daily routines. In this blog, we’ll explore 12 easy-to-implement ideas, one for each month of the year, that can help you make your home more eco-friendly without breaking the bank. Think of them as mini resolutions for a greener, more sustainable lifestyle!

1. Be A Star

We’ve all seen the distinctive yellow, or blue-and-white Energy Star labels on appliances of all types, including dishwashers, fridges, washers, and dryers. The Energy Star designation, backed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by the inefficient use of energy. Certified appliances use up to 50% less energy than those without—for example, an Energy Star certified dishwasher can save almost 5,000 gallons of water annually. If you’re in the market for a new appliance this year, look for these stickers to not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but save on your electricity bill while you’re at it.

2. Go With The (Low) Flow

According to the EPA, the average American household uses about 300 gallons of water per day. Making a simple switch to low-flow fixtures can save a surprising amount: a low-flow toilet uses 1.6 gallons per flush compared to 7 gallons for a standard toilet, and a more efficient showerhead can decrease water consumption by 40% without affecting water pressure or performance. If you want to try a smaller change to start, replace your old faucets or aerators with WaterSense-labeled ones that can help cut down on your water consumption by as much as 700 gallons per year. That’s enough to take about 45 showers!

3. Lighten Up

Replacing the traditional incandescent lightbulbs throughout your home with LED ones is one bright idea: LED bulbs use up to 75% less energy and last 25 times longer. LEDs have a typical lifespan of 25,000 hours, compared to 1,200 hours for incandescent and 2,000 for halogen. Now, as for how many people it will take to change those lightbulbs, we can’t help you with that.

4. Take A Top-Down Approach

Hot air rises. If your home always seems to be cold, it could be that your heat is escaping through your attic. In fact, the average home loses up to 50% of its heat through the top of the house. If you have an attic in your home, make sure it is well insulated. And it might not just be your attic – many older homes have small holes and cracks in places we can’t see, letting heat escape, and in turn, running up your energy bills. Improving your home’s insulation can reduce the need for heating and cooling, lowering energy consumption. You’d be amazed at how much energy you can conserve when you add insulation to attics, walls, and floors.

5. Mind The Gaps

If a big insulating project is not in the budget, there is a DIY alternative. Walk around your house and hold your hand up to your windows and doors to feel for drafts. Drafty windows can account for 25% to 30% of heating and cooling costs, but doors, electrical outlets, attic hatches and ductwork are other places where heat can escape. Replace leaky weatherstripping and use foam tape or caulking to cover cracks for an easy fix. Eliminating gaps around the house that leak heat and cool air improves efficiency.

6. Make A Material Change

The very materials we use to build, renovate, or update our homes can also have an impact on the environment. Consider reusing materials such as reclaimed timbers from older buildings or barns, or old brick from homes that have seen better days. These upcycled materials can add interest to your home while also improving its sustainability. Try using products such as bamboo or cork for flooring—bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on the planet, while cork comes from the bark of cork oak trees and is harvested without harming the tree itself. On the walls, opt for paints or wallcoverings that are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and emit fewer toxins, thereby reducing indoor air pollution. Natural products are better for the health of the environment and the health of your family.

7. Smarten Up

A smart home is one that has a whole-home system to connect with your appliances, allowing you to control all of your devices in one place, even remotely. And it’s not just the familiar doorbells and security systems. You can use a smart home system to program your sprinklers, control appliances like your refrigerator (it can even generate your shopping list for you!), and regulate your air conditioning and heating via smart thermostats. A smart thermostat learns your heating and cooling preferences and adjusts the temperature accordingly, optimizing energy use and helping you save on utility bills. Some can even track your energy consumption so you stay consistent throughout the year.

8. Relaunch Windows To Update

Replacing single-pane windows with more energy-efficient options, such as double-pane or triple-pane windows can be a wise choice. Single-pane windows provide little insulation, allowing heat to escape in the winter and letting it in during the summer. This makes your heating and cooling systems work harder, leading to higher energy bills. Double- or triple-pane windows, on the other hand, have insulating layers of air or gas (like argon or krypton) between the panes, which helps to maintain a more stable indoor temperature year-round. High-performing windows can reduce the amount of heat escaping by up to 50%. This means your home stays warmer in winter and cooler in summer, reducing your overall energy consumption—and increasing your comfort. For an extra environmentally-friendly touch, add sustainable blinds made from hemp or bamboo, or cotton curtains for a cozy and quiet bedroom.

9. Get A Filter

According to the World Economic Forum, thirsty Americans toss out 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour, and only about one quarter are recycled. And those that aren’t can take up to 450 years to degrade! That means millions of tons of plastic waste end up in landfills and the oceans every year. Drinking tap water significantly reduces our plastic trash burden, but many people simply think bottled water is better. Add a water filtration system to your home—whether it’s a simple Brita jug, a faucet attachment, or a whole-house system—to reduce waste from plastics.

10. Ward Off The Vampires

There’s a simple way to ward off vampires without the need to sport a garlic necklace. Many of our everyday appliances drain electricity even in standby mode and hitting the power button doesn’t always mean an appliance is completely off, which means they continue to drain power in the background. Some appliances use as much “standby power,” spent just waiting as they do performing their designed function. These so-called “vampire loads” can account for 5% to 10% of your home’s energy use. Cable boxes, TVs, game consoles, and computers are some of the worst offenders. To avoid wasting this energy, you can either unplug the device altogether (which can be inconvenient) or choose a type of power strip that uses a mix of “control,” “always on,” and “switched” outlets so that the only devices pulling power are those in use.

11. Keep Your Cool

The U.S. Department of Energy tells us that we can save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling bills by simply adjusting the thermostat by 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting. A perfect time to do this is while you’re out of the house at work, and/or overnight. Bundle up and save even more by keeping your thermostat set at 68 in winter and using ceiling fans instead of air conditioners in summer. With a programmable thermostat, you can program your home’s HVAC systems to provide specific temperatures at different times of the day to match your family’s activities.

12. Be Aggressively Passive

Why not work with the environment instead of against it? If you have the opportunity to build your own home or even do some renovations, consider using the principles of passive design, which takes advantage of natural and free resources to enhance efficiency. This approach to home design looks at the orientation of the home itself, shading, and cross-flow ventilation through efficient window placement. Maximize south-facing windows in colder climates to increase direct sunlight in the winter to help heat your home and reduce your reliance on artificial light. Plant a tree that loses its leaves in the winter on the south side of your house, which will block the sun from streaming into your home in the summer and allow light through in the winter.

These simple, sustainable steps can help create a greener, more efficient home without expensive upgrades, while contributing to a healthier planet and checking at least one resolution off your list for 2025. If you are interested in learning more about how you can help your home go green, contact Christos Viores, Esquire at Ligris + Associates PC today.

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