How your home can be more sustainable on a budget

Save money & energy with cheap insulation ideas & zero-cost home updates

Discover how to boost your own green power without spending a fortune.

Sustainability champion & interior designer Kevin McCloud's top tip ?

A roll of insulation tape.

“If I only had £50, I would go to my nearest hardware shop and spend a few quid on self-adhesive draught-excluding tape to seal any unwanted gaps around doors and windows - I’d probably spend the rest on tripling the insulation in the loft. In addition, many Victorian homes have a cellar and people forget it can cause draughts, so remember to insulate that, too.”

Read the rest of Kevin McCloud’s tips here.

Switch off standby

Turn off the standby mode on your electrical appliances for an instant energy save. as standby still requires energy including “sleep” status especially if the appliance has LED lights or a flashing display that remains in place when not in use.

Most appliances can be switched off at the plug when not in use, and doing so can save an average household between £45 and £80 a year- look into Standby Savers, which let you turn off multiple appliances with one switch.”

10 tips for saving energy (and money) in the kitchen.

Buy your kitchen second-hand

New kitchens can be expensive, but you can reduce the price tag of a new kitchen as well as your environmental impact, by buying second-hand. The Used Kitchen Company specialises in second-hand kitchen sales including ex-display models & secondhand kitchens .

Prices range from £1,750 to £50,000 +

Restrict your shower’s flow

Standard showers tend to deliver 13.5 litres per minute, while flow-regulated reduce this to 10 litres per minute , with little affect on performance.

Look for models that feature an aerator, which enriches the water with air, so the flow contains less water while keeping its volume.

Small steps to saving water in the bathroom.

10 quick ways to be more eco-friendly with water.

“Place a cistern displacement device in your dual-flush toilet cistern to reduce the volume of water used in each flush. You can get one of these from your water provider.”

Wash at low temperatures

Wash your clothes less often is a quick way to reduce bills, & operate both your washing machine and dishwasher at a lower temperature, and with a full load.

If you’re buying a new machine, choose one with a half-load button. Also, by switching from a hot wash to a warm wash, over the course of a year you could cut the energy consumption of these appliances in half.

See how to be more green when you clean.

Harness solar power outside

Garden lighting can be an energy drain & solar-powered garden lights & water features can remove the need for cables, hard wiring and outside sockets.

More articles from Houzz here :

How can I renovate my kitchen sustainably?

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