Optimize your home's energy efficiency
In France, heating is by far the biggest energy expenditure in homes, accounting for almost 70% of energy consumption.
To reduce this percentage and lower your energy bill, you can pay attention to your home's insulation and thereby reduce heat loss due to poor insulation of attics, floors, walls, or windows. Ecological materials are to be preferred for thermal insulation; animal wools, cork, and cellulose wadding have very good thermal and moisture resistance. Animal wool is best to use because it is bio-sourced, renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable, and its capabilities are similar to those of rock wool.
Reducing reliance on fossil fuels will limit greenhouse gas emissions.
A more ecological shower
After heating, the hot water tank is the second biggest energy expenditure for French households, so monitoring hot water consumption is essential for acting for the environment. To do this, several solutions can save you water and energy. You can opt for a low-flow shower, which will limit the water flow to up to 9 liters per minute while maintaining comfortable pressure. There are also solar showers that heat water using solar energy, which will prevent you from using more fossil fuels. Or you can choose to use a thermostatic shower whose role is to maintain a warm water temperature to avoid waste during adjustment; you will no longer leave the water running while waiting for it to warm up.
The importance of lighting
For less energy-intensive indoor lighting, you can first optimize how natural light enters your home by arranging your space so as not to block its entry. You can use larger windows to let in as much natural light as possible and consider alternatives like sheer curtains that preserve your privacy while not blocking natural light. This will significantly reduce your need for artificial lighting during the day. After applying the first tip, you can use LED bulbs, which consume almost 80% less energy than conventional bulbs and have an almost infinite lifespan. There are also motion-sensor lights that we all know; the principle is simple: the light turns off automatically when no one is in the room, which prevents leaving the light on unnecessarily.
Choosing your furniture well
We all need furniture for our homes, some of which are essential for our comfort. To limit your environmental impact, you can buy furniture made from recycled or recyclable materials and whose textiles (if any) are natural and organic. This will give objects a second life and limit the impact of their production on the environment. You can also look into second-hand or refurbished furniture. Many websites and shops like Emmaüs have a concept of selling second-hand goods, including furniture. There is a lot of choice, so you will surely find something you like, and the prices are less expensive than in classic stores. Otherwise, you can also think about the life the piece of furniture you want will have before buying it and prioritize an object that will evolve with you, that may be modular, and that you can use in all circumstances to avoid having to buy a new one.
