Every year, Minto Communities has an ongoing New Year’s resolution to continue making our homes as green as possible. It’s part of our commitment to building a sustainable future.

While there are many things that we as builders can do to make homes greener, there are also things every homeowner can do to help—regardless of your home’s age, size or location.

Here are 8 ways to make your home more environmentally friendly:

1. Switch Your Lightbulbs

This is one of the easiest ways to make your home greener. Switching from incandescent to LED bulbs will give you big savings on energy usage and costs. LED lights use 75% less energy and last about 25 times longer than incandescent lights.*

2. You’re a Natural!

Natural gas produces less CO₂ than other fossil fuels, and it doesn’t produce ash or particulates that can cause health and environmental issues.**

3. Soak up the Sun with Solar Panels

It’s more feasible, more efficient and better looking than ever to add solar panels to your home. You’ll be reducing your environmental footprint and saving money by making your own energy rather than drawing from the local electrical grid. And many states offer tax incentives to help reduce setup costs.

4. Embrace the Outdoors

By planting native trees, shrubs and grasses, you’ll avoid introducing invasive species or plants that may have an adverse effect on local wildlife. With local species of plants, you can also be sure everything will thrive in your yard!

5. Get the Most Out of Compost

While you’re gardening, you can get great planting soil and cut down on food waste by starting a compost heap. It’s as easy as setting up a separate waste bin and dedicating a little space in your yard, and you’ll cut down on the number of trash bags you go through, as well.

6. Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Appliances

From laundry to kitchen to TVs, if you have older electronics and appliances at home, you may be wasting energy, even when you’re not using those products. And those energy savings can be a cost savings. For example, upgrading to an energy-efficient clothes dryer will save you $210 in utilities over its lifetime.***

7. Seal and Insulate

It seems obvious, but it’s often overlooked: Many houses waste effort and energy as heating and cooling is lost through cracks, gaps and improperly insulated spaces. Many energy companies will offer a free home audit to find problem spots, which can be fixed with some caulking, insulation or sealing doors and windows.

8. Save Water (Without Sacrificing a Great Shower)

Low-flow shower heads sometimes get a bad rap for weak or irregular water pressure, but these days, you can find options with all the features you love, including reliable pressure, using a fraction of the water. It’s a true win-win.

 

*Source: https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/save-electricity-and-fuel/lighting-choices-save-you-money/led-lighting

**Source: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/natural-gas-energy.htm

***Source: https://www.energysage.com/energy-efficiency/costs-benefits/energy-star-rebates/