Tips for an eco-friendly home

Zoopla.co.uk property news author Frances MacDonald has worked in the property industry for 30 years and has helped to compile reports on housing market trends and home values. Here she looks at turning normal homes into green homes.

Green homes might be seen as the property of future generations, but in the UK alone, the last decade has seen a significant rise in smart, sustainable properties that often give as much back to the environment as they take. As Britain seeks to minimise its carbon impact and maximise energy efficiency, here are a few ideas for making your existing home that bit more eco-friendly.

The best way to start is to get an idea of how much energy you’re using and where it’s being consumed the most. Whether you fit an energy meter for your property or find an online calculator to work it out yourself, once you know the extent of your energy habits, it’s easier to start changing them.

Some of the best green homes in the UK today are planned around the movement of the sun and which rooms are needed at different times.

While floor-to-ceilings windows or natural ventilation systems are not always possible, you can enhance an existing layout. Installing skylights is a good way of injecting more light into a room, reducing the need for electricity. Conversely, fitting awnings and shades for a south-facing room can help regulate the temperature in the summer.

Retro-fitting is a phrase often heard these days and even if you’re not starting from scratch, there are still plenty of ways to improve the efficiency of your home. While new-builds often come with triple-glazing, period buildings which may have original – and draughty – sash windows can still be insulated without having to be replaced. Consider secondary glazing or fitting shutters instead.

One of the biggest changes you can make is employing solar photovoltaic technology. The ‘Under the Sun’ house in Birmingham has been a successful example of redesigning a Victorian terrace with a powerful set of solar panels on the sloped roof, providing both thermal and electrical power. One of the major pluses here is that enough energy can be generated to sell back to the grid, making a zero-carbon impact over time.

Elsewhere, insulating boilers, loft spaces and cavity walls is an obvious and effective strategy but even this can be done with more consideration for the environment. Used goods like jean fabric, sand, recycled glass and even newspaper around your water pipes are all good solutions which benefit the eco-system in more ways than one.

Water conservation is a big part of green living and even something as simple as a low-flow toilet can reduce the amount you use on every flush, naturally reducing your water bills at the same time. New eco-homes are also realising the potential of roof gardens as an anti-flooding device and rainwater harvesting through outdoor tanks, placed to catch the run-off from the roof.

Of course, the small changes still make all the difference. Energy-saving bulbs or timer switches in rooms with high-usage could make a huge impact on your output and your bills. Powering mobile appliances with solar chargers, composting food waste and even using chemical free detergents and cleaning agents can all contribute.

Considering the long-term benefits to the environment – and the bank balance – even the most minor changes are important in creating a more eco-friendly household.