Quick Tips to Make Your Home Eco-Friendly & Energy Efficient

Good Morning Everyone.  As we all try to live more eco friendly greener lives we may find it hard to break our old bad habits.  My boyfriend Nick and I have changed our light bulbs to be more energy efficient, we recycle as much as possible, and we try to turn off our lights and appliances when they are not in use.

Check out these tips to help make our home more Eco Friendly and Energy Efficient:

Eco-Friendly Decorating Tips

We should always try to burn eco friendly candles made from beeswax or soy candles.  Paraffin is a petroleum by-product and therefore Paraffin Wax candles are not eco friendly.

We can buy Recycled Paints, Low or Zero Volatile Organic Compound Paints as well as Milk Paints.  These are all eco-friendly.  Volatile Organic Compounds are harmful compounds that are released into the air when normal paint dries and they can cause a variety of personal injuries such as headaches, nose bleeds, and even kidney damage. Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams both produce Low (or No) VOC paints. Milk Paint is produced from milk proteins, clay and limestone.  They are non toxic and eco friendly. Homestead House produces Milk Paints.

Eco-Friendly Furniture

We can buy everything from Eco Friendly Sofas to Energy Efficient Televisions.  Eco-Friendly Sofas are made from fiberboard instead of harmful wood or metals. The cushions can be filled with recycled foam, soy foam, or latex foam which are all eco friendly and light-weight materials. Lighter weight materials make it easier for transportation.

Eco-Friendly Electronics

We can buy Televisions that are certified by Energy Star which makes them energy efficient.  When we buy energy efficient electronics or appliances we are saving on our hydro costs as well as using less energy which saves our resources.  Televisions with LED backlit panels reduce energy needs and therefore costs.  It`s nice to know that Sony recycles all of their electronics.  We should also try to purchase Televisions that are made without Lead or Mercury, which are both harmful materials.  Before we buy any electronics we can visit the manufacturer’s website to see if they support eco-sustainability and recycling programs.

Eco-Friendly Appliances

We can purchase many different Eco-Friendly appliances such as Range Hoods and Ventilation Fans for our Stoves, Refrigerators, Dishwashers and even Waters Coolers. Energy Efficient Range Hoods use 65% less electricity than a regular Range Hood.

Energy Efficient Refrigerators use 20% less electricity and keep our groceries just as cold as regular Refrigerators thanks to the use of more efficient insulation.  We should also make our own ice instead of an automatic ice maker in the door of our Refrigerators.  An improved cooling system makes Eco-Friendly Water Coolers use 45% less energy than regular hot/cold Water Coolers.  Energy Efficient Dishwashers use 10% less energy and can save up to 4900 litres of water.  Be sure to check for the Energy Star approval before you buy your next Appliance.

Photo by CarolSides

Kristina Tahnyak

Tahnya is a Certified Financial Planner and former Investment Advisor turned marketing and communications professional She holds a degree from Concordia University, is debt free and currently works in the field of digital marketing.