A great way to save on energy bills and to have a more eco-friendly home is to make sure that said home is well insulated. The better the insulation, the less energy you will waste resulting in lower heating and cooling bills. This article discusses some handy tips with which you can improve your home’s insulation.

The majority of heat and energy is lost through a home’s windows, but you can also use windows to your advantage by making the most out of your access to natural light. To improve your windows’ insulation, check what kind of glazing you have. Double or triple glazings are two of the most energy-efficient glazings out there. With double glazing there are two glass sheets which are separated by an approximately 16 mm gap. Triple simply means that there are three sheets of glass.                     The extra sheet of glass ensures an extra barrier for insulation. As installing these types of glazing can be expensive, there is also the option of secondary glazing, where an extra sheet of glass is added to the existing one. The seal is not as strong as with a double glazed window, but it is still better for your insulation than just a single sheet of glass.

You should also check your window frames for draughts or damages. If heat is escaping through a damaged window frame, then this can be easily fixed with some wood filler. Another great way to add some improved insulation is through your window treatment. Thick curtains can do a good job, but wooden blinds do a better one. Their close proximity to the glass and sturdy material prevents heat from escaping, and as they have adjustable slates you can make the most out of natural light, too.

Your walls are probably the second most important part of your home, which need better insulation, and here again you have several options. If you have a cavity wall, then there are two layers of brick with a gap or cavity between them. This gap can be filled, but unfortunately you cannot do this yourself and will need to employ a registered installer. Once the gap has been filled, you can expect a carbon dioxide saving of around 550kg per year.

If you have a solid wall, meaning that you have two slayers of bricks that have been slotted together in an alternating pattern so that there is no gap, then you need to use a different type of insulation. With solid walls you can opt for internal or external insulation. Internal insulation entails fitting rigid insulation boards to the wall. Alternatively you can build a stud wall filled with mineral wood fibre. The external walls are fitted with insulation material, which is then covered with a special type of render/ plasterwork or cladding. With internal wall insulation you can save 1.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, while external provides you with 1.9 tonnes saved. The main difference between the two is their cost. External is a lot more expensive then internal, but on the other hand it is less disruptive to the household. Both options have different pros and cons.

Choosing an environmentally-conscious lifestyle and creating a greener home is the best way to become more energy efficient and Eco-friendly. Below are some tips toward a more efficient lifestyle.

Change Habits

Habits can be hard to break, but modifying daily activities is essential to the greening process. In the home, this could mean washing clothes only when a full load is present and skipping the dryer. Line-drying clothes and drying dishes by hand are two easy ways to cut energy usage.

Speaking of dishes, in the kitchen, a bit of design can be incredibly helpful. Refrigerators should be housed in an area of the kitchen which is out of the sun and away from any other heat-producing appliances such as the oven or dishwasher.

Also, keep an eye on the thermostat, as this solar-power-your-home.com post notes, “if you really like to wake up to and come home to a warm house, putting the thermostat on a timer so it comes on just before wake up or get home is a far better option than leaving the heating on all day.”

Increase Sustainability of Items

Habits can go a long way; help appliances go longer by using some elbow grease and incorporating those habits to ensure appliances and other home items become more sustainable.

Appliance parts are easy to find on the internet; click here for more information on finding spare appliance parts. Use replacement parts and simple repair to fix small problems around the home and keep items and appliances in prime condition. Better conditioned machines operate in a smoother and more efficient fashion; plus keeping things in your home longer keeps them out of the landfill.

Upgrade to Energy Efficient and Shop Smart

Even the most sustainable appliances have a lifespan. When this happens, choose models with energy efficient labels such as Energy Star. According to Energy Star.gov, “products can earn the Energy Star label by meeting the energy efficiency requirements set forth in Energy Star product specifications. EPA establishes these specifications based on the following set of key guiding principles” related to measured levels of lessened energy usage.

Energy Star provides labels for appliances, lighting sources, building materials, heating and cooling units, water systems, and more.

Use Less

Conservation is key. Low flow faucets will help conserve water whereas LED lighting options will use less energy to light the home. Utilize appliances with smaller engines; counter top appliances have smaller engines and burn energy only when being directly used.

Katie Cranford is a writer and conservationist who enjoys sharing ways she saves energy in her home.

Do you want to make a positive difference to the environment and save money at the same time? Well, here you can, thanks to the following 5 eco-friendly money saving tips…

1. Energy Saving Light bulbs

Did you know that by replacing your standard light bulbs with energy saving alternatives you could save serious money and protect the environment? Energy saving light bulbs also last twelve times longer than ordinary ones and come in a range of colours to suit every taste. What you waiting for?

2. Turn off appliances Before Bed

Before you go to bed make sure all your household appliances are turned off. A common mistake many people make is to leave their electrical devices on standby overnight which can prove extremely costly over a year. You can save up to 40 watt-hours of energy a day by doing this simple energy efficient tip, which equates to around £10 a year.

3. Recycle Your Bottles!

By recycling your household glass you can lower water pollution by 50 % and air pollution by 20 %. Sadly, glass that isn’t recycled can take over a million years to naturally decay. Get recycling now!

4. Air Dry Your Clothes

Next time you need to use the tumble dryer, instead use a clothesline and air dry your clothes naturally. This will save you serious amounts of money over the course of a year and help the environment by saving on gas and electricity usage.

5. Recycle Your Furnishings

Sadly, creating furnishings wastes a plenty of energy and creates a lot of pollution. In certain countries human rights are often ignored and workers who make clothes work in terrible conditions and are often paid unfairly. Make a difference by recycling your own furnishings. Recently I made second hand foam cushions for myself. I used old fabric from foam cut to size and modified my old cushions using a sewing needle and thread.

Did you find these tips helpful? Could you go green?

With the rising costs of fuel, many people are reducing their dependence on fossil fuels by choosing more responsible and greener solutions. As a lot of energy is used in heating and cooling the home, many homeowners look to alternative ways to insulate their home. Some options can be expensive, such as installing new windows, but thankfully there are cheaper alternatives.

Conservatory blinds maintain a consistent temperature throughout the house by insulating the window from heat and cold. As the house does not need to be altered in any major way to install the blinds, they are an incredibly convenient way to make the home more eco-friendly as well as add a nice decorative touch.

Conservatory Blinds Maintain Temperature 

Window-filled homes certainly have an appeal, letting in light, air and outdoor views. However, even a closed window can let in hot air in the summer and cool air in the winter. These older windows can be replaced, but it can often prove expensive, complicated and require professional installation. Blinds are a great way to improve the functionality of older windows, helping keep heat from entering the home in the summer and leaving the house much cooler without the need for air conditioning. On the flipside, they can also function to keep cool air at bay throughout winter, ultimately reducing the heating bill. It’s not just older windows that let in unwanted temperature conditions either – newer windows are susceptible to undesirable changes in temperature. Installing blinds is a great simple step towards a greener living.

Conservatory Blinds are Convenient

Conservatory blinds have many other uses in addition to regulating temperature. Certain shades can be used to darken the room, particularly useful for those with young children or those who work the second shift and therefore sleep during the day. Conversely, blinds come in a variety of shades that let sunlight in whilst keeping heat out.

Conservatory Blinds are Decorative 

Whilst some may feel that blinds chosen for their functionality might not be stylish, they are in fact a popular decorative choice for many homes. With so many different varieties of colour and style, such as vertical and Roman blinds, there is bound to be a set for every room regardless of size or shape. They also provide enough space for homeowners to mount decorative curtains, ensuring a window decor as practical as it is complimentary to the home.

Everyone knows that it is important to make eco-friendly choices in home design. However, these choices can be cost-prohibitive. Fortunately, the increasing popularity of conservatory blinds has provided an option for families that want to take the green option without spending a lot of time, money, and energy on major home improvement projects.

It’s always important to make eco-friendly choices when decorating and designing the home. Whilst these choices can be cost-prohibitive, the increasing popularity of simple home improvements such as conservatory blinds have provided a much more time, money and energy effective alternative to major home improvement projects.

Consumerism and ethical lifestyles do not, for many people, fall under the same umbrella. The two areas, however, are very much entwined and by following guidelines it is easy to make a huge difference to the environment by deciding exactly where the money from your wallet goes. There are two ways of doing this – boycotting brands and positive purchasing.

Boycotting

The first of the two options, boycotting, is the easier of the two to undertake. By researching which brands and products are created in immoral means it is possible to steer clear of purchasing them. Similarly it is easy to look at the materials that products are made of – synthetic products, such as plastics, often require toxins in their creation whilst natural materials do not. By buying natural resource equivalents of goods it is possible to recycle or re-use them at the end of their usefulness. Similarly wood, for example, bio-degrades at a much faster rate than synthetic materials and, as such, provides a much smaller burden to the environment.  Therefore boycotting man made materials can help improve one’s green credentials, particularly if organic products are purchased instead.

Positive consumerism

Positive consumerism is the opposite to boycotting goods – rather than not purchasing items that can cause a negative effect on the environment, positive consumerism recommends buying items that help the green cause. Positive consumerism is in some ways easier to research when the consumer knows what they are looking for; positive companies are likely to be proud of their environmental contributions and, as such, will label their products with badges of honour. This is the opposite of less moral brands; unlike in animations, where toxic goods have large skull and crossbones placed upon them, it is unlikely that negative goods will advertise themselves as such.

What to look for

There are a number of different labels which, when identified, can help a consumer assemble an environmentally friendly and morally just shopping list. The most famous ethical label, of course, is the Fair Trade one. This label represents the fact that every single worker in the process of creating Fair Trade goods will be justly fiscally compensated for their work and will be guaranteed a safe working area too. There are many similar labels which can highlight a good’s green credentials – the Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production and Ethical Trading Initiative labels are two such recognised tags. Various symbols on clothing, including those that denote they are made with organic materials, are worth pursuing also.

Positive goods and brands

Away from looking at labels there are other areas worth considering. When buying food it is possible to decrease a carbon footprint by  purchasing only locally sourced goods – any foodstuff that is purchased in a supermarket will have more than likely have been flown or shipped in, as well as being driven to the market, which will have created a large carbon footprint via transportation. Purchasing food from farmer’s markets can help combat this particularly if the food purchased is organic. Similarly it is worth investing in charitable and philanthropic brands wherever possible. Many good providers user, as consumer incentives, charitable schemes aimed at helping, both nationally and internationally, those in need with regular aid and donations. Many of these are environmentally targeted and, by purchasing from these brands rather than immoral or amoral alternatives, it is possible to make a positive impact on the environment.

Kieron Casey is a BA (Hons) Journalism graduate who blogs regularly on a number of topics including ethical shopping, solar power and the environment.

While people love to joke about the effects of global warming, it’s hard to deny that the weather is changing. We’re seeing more weather at both extremes, with warmer summers, and colder winters. Most older homes aren’t equipped to deal with this kind of extreme weather, and homeowners are feeling the effects of the weather in their wallets, as their heating bills skyrocket.

The quickest and easiest solution to the problem of energy efficient homes is to fit double glazing, and insulation. Some older homes may already have double glazing, but could see large benefits if they upgraded from an older design to more modern windows.

Nottingham council recently ran a campaign to encourage home owners to upgrade to more energy efficient windows, and to save energy in other ways, and other councils are following suit.

The thought of upgrading windows might seem strange, but there have been a lot of improvements in the technology used to make double glazed windows, as Nottingham council were quick to point out.

For example, modern double glazed windows use inert gasses such as argon or xenon in between the panes. These are much more efficient than normal air when it comes to trapping heat. Also, modern windows use energy efficient, Low-E glass. This glass has an invisible coating of metal oxide on one of the panes. The metal oxide allows heat and sunlight to pass through it and enter the house, but reduces the amount of heat leaving the house.

Another recent innovation is “warm edge” spacers. Double glazed windows have a small spacer that keeps the two panes apart. In older windows, these spacers were often made of metal. However, metal conducts heat fairly well, so it is not an ideal choice. More modern windows use other materials for their spacers.

The energy efficiency ratings commonly seen on appliances can also be seen on double glazing. Most modern double glazing installations can be considered to be worthy of a “B” rating at the very least. There are “A” rated double glazing panes available, and some companies also produce triple glazing, which would be suitable for areas that are extremely cold, or where noise pollution may be a problem.

An owner of a typical three bedroom home can expect to save more than £100/year just by switching to double glazing. The savings can be even higher in areas where gas is expensive, and may also be higher for homes that are located in cold areas, or homes that are exposed to high winds.

Taking the step to invest in modern double glazing may seem intimidating at first. The up-front cost of getting new double glazed windows can look prohibitively high, but the energy savings, and the increased comfort, offered by modern double glazing makes it a wise investment. At current energy prices it may seem like it would take a long time to pay off the cost of double glazing, but energy prices increase frequently, so the investment should pay for itself more quickly than you might expect.

This post was written by James Harper on behalf of Stormclad, expert suppliers of windows Nottingham. James writes on subjects related to home improvements and energy efficiency.

Most expectant mothers are looking for ways to ensure that the environment they’re bringing a new life into is safe.  They want to do everything in their power to ensure that they remain healthy and happy during the course of gestation so as to give their babies the best chance at life.  To that end, finding ways to go green while you’re pregnant is a fantastic idea.  Not only are you making a positive change in your own life (and protecting your unborn child from the get-go) by taking up the mantle of eco-friendly living, but you’re also taking the first steps towards a greener future for everyone.  Here are just a few ways to get started.

Eat organic.  These days DDT is out of the picture (thank goodness, since it is thought to cause birth defects or even miscarriage).  But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of other chemical pesticides and fertilizers clinging to your food.  Even thorough washing leaves behind traces of these chemicals that you ingest along with your foods.  And the hormones and antibiotics in meat are no picnic, either.  Consider cleansing your body of these toxins, at least during pregnancy, so that your baby can avoid chemical exposure as long as possible.  You might be surprised by how good fresh, organic foods make you feel (although you may want to avoid unpasteurized dairy while pregnant).

Quit the dye jobs.  Most women know that they’re supposed to avoid harsh, chemical dyes (for hair) when they’re pregnant.  But considering how many chemicals come in contact with your body in an average day, you may be fooling yourself if you think you can protect your baby simply by cutting out this one thing.  The truth is, it’s a good idea to stop dying your hair (with chemical dyes), but you also need to take a look at other products you’re using and change them up, as well.  Soap, shampoo, hair products, makeup, lotions, laundry detergent, and household cleaners all contain chemicals that can enter your body through respiration or skin contact.  Even your clothing may have chemicals lurking in the fibers.  So make an effort to go organic with all of your products if you want to do the most to protect the health of your unborn child.

Go green in the nursery.  There are many ways to create an eco-friendly nursery before you bring home baby.  Use low- or no-VOC paint, reclaimed furnishings (or those manufactured with green materials), and organic linens.  This will make for a beautiful bedroom that is less likely to cause your infant harm.

Throw a green shower.  Eco-friendly baby showers are all the rage lately, so start by sending out Evites (skip the paper), cater with organic hors d’oeuvres, play verbal games, and ask guests for items like cloth diapers and gift cards to green baby stores.

Home birth.  The last thing you can do to make your pregnancy green is deliver your child the old-fashioned way: at home. Secure the services of a midwife and think about doing a water birth, which many women claim is a more relaxing and comfortable method of enduring labor and delivery.  You can enjoy a happy and healthy pregnancy that also does less to harm the Earth, while at the same time creating a chemical-free environment that’s better for your whole family.  And what expectant mother doesn’t want that?

Although summer is well past its peak, that doesn’t mean the heat wave is quite ready to subside just yet.  However, now is a good time to start planning for the colder months that will soon make their presence felt as the temperatures begin to dip, the leaves start to turn, and the sharp tang of fall weather drifts in on the last breeze of summer.  Before the frost hits the leftover squash in your vegetable patch, you want to be prepared to ride out the long winter nights in the comfort of a toasty domicile.  But if doing your part to keep the environment free of waste and pollution is just as high on your list of priorities as keeping away the chill of winter, then you may be having some trouble settling on a solution for heating.

Natural gas is not an option you necessarily want to explore since using up our planet’s nonrenewable resources is decidedly irresponsible.   And while denuded forests can certainly be replanted, most logging operations simply clear-cut, leaving the topsoil exposed to the elements so that it is washed into the rivers, causing silt and debris that kill wildlife (while the barren Earth left behind can hardly grow scrub-brush, much less hardwoods).  Plus, the damage to air quality caused by wood smoke does not recommend it as friendly for the Earth or your lungs.  Luckily, there are some other options when it comes to heating your home in an environmentally responsible manner, and an alternative fireplace is one of the best.

The old-school way to get green heat into your interior spaces is with a pellet stove.  However, there are a couple of drawbacks.  For one thing, the setup isn’t very attractive; it basically looks like someone threw a clothes-dryer drum into your living room and called it a fireplace.  And although heat is produced through the use of sawdust (which is usually a waste product leftover at lumber mills), it still comes from wood.  Also, it does require some electricity to run (but it’s not as nice looking as most electrical options).  So it’s certainly more eco-friendly than most heating units, but still it’s probably not the absolute best choice.

But just leave it to supply and demand to deliver on a heat source that is cleaner, greener, and more attractive than your average eco-friendly option.  The emergence of bioethanol has provided a workable heating solution for the home that wants to do less to harm the Earth.  The setup is flue-less, so those who currently have wood or stone fireplaces can simply slide the box into the existing structure, while anyone without a chimney can simply put a standalone unit in the middle of the room.  Plus, the range of styles is both diverse and eminently appealing to the modern homeowner, offering a variety of fireplace ideas to anyone looking to convert, remodel, or design a room with the inclusion of eco-friendly heating.

Of course, anyone who is running on alternative energy already (solar, for example) can easily hook up an electric unit, but when the sun is hiding behind the clouds all winter long you might be glad you went for clean-burning, bioethanol fireplace instead.

When it comes to selecting an event or location to impress your date, you might have a hard time coming up with suitable (or inventive) ideas.  This has long been the bane of every guy trying to impress a girl.  And yet, for the advocate of eco-friendly living, the proposition can be much more difficult.  You not only have to come up with clever ideas for dates; you also have to ensure that you reduce your carbon footprint in the process.  And there are only so many people you can convince to hop on a bicycle built for two (as in “you’ll look sweet upon the seat…”).  So if you’re looking for ways to convince that special person in your life that you’re the one (environmental consciousness and all), here are some killer ideas that won’t kill the planet in the process.

1. Picnic in the park.  You don’t necessarily need a bicycle built for two, but cycling or walking down to the local park with a basket full of organic goodies is a great way to break the ice and enjoy the summer weather.  Best of all, you won’t create any greenhouse gas emissions in the process and you’ll be supporting the organic food movement.
2. Choose a responsible restaurant.  Unless you live in a diverse urban area or a hippie town, you might have trouble finding restaurants that embrace environmental practices.  However, you may be able to discover spots that offer locally grown and raised (and possibly even organic) produce and meat.  Even if they use these items for the simple reason that they fresh, inexpensive, and readily available, they’re still doing less damage to the environment in the process.
3. Star-gazing.  Whoever said “the best things in life are free” may have been an avid star-gazer.  This fun and romantic activity, made even better by events like meteor showers or the appearance of a planet, can be had for the low cost of absolutely free.  It is also free of pollution, waste, and energy consumption, since it’s best enjoyed with the lights out.
4. Volunteer.  This might not sound like a particularly fun date, but hear me out.  A date is really just an activity that both parties are interested in.  So if you and your date both like to help others and support Earth-friendly causes, then why not use your passion for the planet to bring you closer together?  It’s a great way to bond with another person as well as learn what they’re really made of.
5. Make love, followed by pasta.  Okay, so this is sort of a backwards way to go about dating, but it’s a fantastic means of taking it to the next level with a person you’ve been dating for a while, as well as burning some calories and doing very little to harm the Earth in the process (make homemade pasta from organic ingredients for an afterglow snack).  Of course, if you want to avoid increasing the population and/or consigning yourself to STD testing you’ll have to use some protection.  But it’s easy to go green here by choosing natural condoms.  Although most latex versions are made to be biodegradable, chemical additives can stymie the breakdown process.  Opt for widely available Naturalamb alternatives for a greener way to bring your A-game.

Nobody wants to look in the mirror and discover that their teeth are green; that could mean serious dental problems.  But what if you could take advantage of greener dental practices when it comes to your oral health?

If you’re already deeply entrenched in an environmentally responsible lifestyle then you have probably found ways to attend to the needs of your teeth on the home front, by making your own toothpaste with baking soda and fresh mint, for example, and purchasing biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes.  But when it comes time to go to the dentist you may balk at all of the electrical machinery, chemical procedures, and waste that go into keeping your smile sparkling.  However, there are now dentists that offer eco-friendly practices, and here are just a few of the steps they are taking to keep their patients clean and green.

Believe it or not, there is actually and Eco-Dentistry Association (EDA) that works to create dental procedure and use materials and technologies that are better for the environment, all while reducing waste and pollution generally found throughout the dental industry.  You may wonder how this can be so in any medical practice, considering how much energy is needed, not to mention disposable materials (for the purposes of sanitation).  But indeed, there are many ways in which modern dentistry is able to conserve and cut back on waste.

Although it would be impossible to completely eliminate disposable waste, due to strict standards of operation for medical practices (pertaining to sterilization of materials), there are certain areas in which dental practices can reduce their carbon footprint.  Many offices are now using fabric (rather than paper) for head-rest covers, bibs, gowns, and so on.  This allows them to launder these items (generally on site, using energy-star washers and dryers) rather than throwing them away.  And many dentists have completely given up on the use of heavy metals for fillings and crowns.  Instead, they are turning to more natural looking composite bonds and porcelain veneers, meaning that fewer metals are being mined from the Earth (polluting in the process) and less metal-related waste is making its way into the water supply.

And they’re also finding ways to cut back on harmful pollutants, in addition to waste reduction.  Most up-to-date offices have now replaced traditional x-rays with digital radiography, which is good for both patients and the environment.  Those who undergo the digital x-ray process are exposed to a tenth of the radiation that normal x-rays deliver.  And the process allows for a drastic reduction in the silver and lead that is released into environment when chemical fixatives needed for the x-ray process get flushed into the sewer system.  In addition, eco-friendly dental offices opt for biodegradable disinfectants and sterilization methods that use steam instead of chemicals, virtually eliminating hazardous waste.

Although these offices may still use quite a bit of electricity, and they can’t completely remove the element of waste from their practices, they are taking steps to ensure that your oral health does less damage to the environment.  So don’t give up on a beautiful, white smile just because you’ve decided to go green.  In this day and age, you can have your cake, eat it too, and still keep cavities at bay.

Leah Ryan writes for Philly Dental Spa where the top Philadelphia cosmetic dentists make your dream smile a reality.