Can Technology Make Your Home Greener?*

At Casa Del Squibb we recycle our glass, plastics, and paper to do our bit for the environment, but I was thinking that surely there are ways to be greener that doesn’t involve driving to the bottle bank; L&G have enlightened me!

Over a quarter of carbon emissions come from the home, which shocked me, I had no idea that every day living could make such an impact, but there are ways in which we can reduce this carbon footprint and save the polar bears!

I mean going green costs a lot in the first outlay, but it does save you a hell of a lot of money in the long run, such as your heating.  You often hear people moaning about the costs of heating, I’m yet to experience these joys of growing up, but if there are ways to save money then count me in!  You are able to purchase air-source heat pumps for around £7,000, stay with me, but these save between £715 and £1,295 a year if replacing electric heating in a four bedroom detached home, so in 7 years it’s paid for itself.  I’d say I’d consider this approach if I knew I’d be staying in a property long term… my forever home!

Rain water harvesters are alittle cheaper, around £2,000 with a running cost on average of 7p a week, but there is evidence to suggest you can say between 30 to 50 per cent on your water bills. There are cheaper options, if you’re someone that waters your garden, then a barrel to collect rainwater with a hose attached can save you money too.

And of course the big one that everyone knows… Solar Power! I’m sure you all know that solar power is a way of using sunlight to create energy, and you can harvest that to save you over £13,000 over the space of 20 years.  They do cost arouns £6,000 as an initial outlay, and I would only consider them if I was in my forever home, but it seems a sensilbe thing to consider when there are changes our current fuel sources could run out!

What do you think of a greener living?