The health of our environment, as well as our own individual impact upon nature, is now at the heart of many discussions. Sustainability is the key term and it is permeating many industries, including the designs of property and living spaces across the country. British homes are, as a result, becoming more sustainable.
In some ways, this is inevitable. The progress of technology combined with the affordability of modern features, as well as a better understanding of architecture, means that homes are becoming more energy efficient and sustainable even without the individual impression made by residents.
Alongside this, however, there is a distinct and conscious effort of many homeowners across the country to improve their property and lifestyle, all with a view to minimise their carbon footprint, or even altogether eliminate it, creating a truly carbon-negative home.
The Ubiquity Of Solar
Solar energy has transformed the residential landscape and there has been a considerable increase in the number of homes that have their own solar panels atop roofs and even outbuildings like sheds and log cabins. This is in part due to government initiatives that seek to reduce the energy costs of homes as well as meet green targets. However, it is also due to the efficiency and affordability of solar panels.
Now, a homeowner can more easily than ever have their property equipment with solar panels. There are even options for powerful batteries to be installed inside the home, giving residents the option to store energy generated during the summer to be used when it is more essential, such as during the winter period.
Push For Insulation
The rising cost of living, a phenomenon largely associated with increased energy bills, has pressured homeowners to improve their home’s insulation. This change has not only been useful for cutting the ongoing costs of utilities but has also dramatically reduced the carbon consumption of homes across the country. Now, it takes less energy to heat a home for even longer.
Food Waste Awareness
With the work of food waste awareness charities, such as WRAP, and the nationwide familiarity with apps like Too Good To Go, food waste conscientiousness is becoming more established. Homeowners are not only wasting less food but also seeking to adopt local food waste services, pushing their council for food bins and waste collection schedules.
Additionally, many homes are taking to install their own composting systems. Those with gardens can become home to an efficient composting system that provides healthy materials for their landscape while also helping their home to become even more beneficial to the area’s ecology.
The Outcome Of Droughts
In recent years, there have been a number of hosepipe bans across the UK. This is a dramatic measure enforced to prevent homes from overwhelming natural resources, such as reservoirs and lakes. At the cost of watering a garden, larger ecologies are protected.
For some homeowners, particularly those who have water butts and rainwater collection systems built on their property, the hosepipe bans meant little. These simple additions to a home can make a huge difference to the expense of water consumption while also helping to benefit the country’s waterscapes.
