How to Make Your Home Better for the Environment

In the current economic climate, homeowners across the UK are always looking for ways to make their money go a little further every month.

But did you know that a few bits of simple DIY can decrease the amount that you spend on bills, and help to save the planet while you're at it? Here are some great eco-friendly DIY tips:

Insulate...everything!

Well, not quite everything. But there's plenty of costly energy lost in millions of homes as a result of poor inflation. Find out if you could get free loft insulation from your energy provider,  cover your hot water cylinder with a special jacket or consider wrapping your pipes with pipe insulation which can be bought cheaply from DIY stores. When you wrap your pipes in this material (it's very easy to do), you'll minimise the amount of heat escaping from uncovered water pipes.

Maintain your fascia boards and guttering

Fascia boards and gutters are famously resolute, but if they're left neglected over a number of years, your home can be left at the mercy of the elements and become harder to heat up. So it's well  worth looking after your guttering to ensure it's strong and not becoming clogged with debris, while you should also consider fascia board replacement if it's necessary.

Install draught excluders

No-one likes a draught flowing through the house, do they? As well as preventing ill wind blowing through your house, an excluder will reduce the amount of time it takes to warm up rooms, so it's well worth affixing one to the bottom of your door. You could buy one, but they're also easy to make. Simply stuff an old pair of tights with rice, lentils or cotton wool and then roll and over some material of your choosing.

De-draught your windows

A huge of source of outside air comes, perhaps not surprisingly, from your windows. So if you don't have the latest triple-glazed windows and can notice heat escaping from your glass, you can buy weather stripping from DIY stores and increase the amount of heat that's staying in your home.

Seal external holes

If you have an air conditioning unit or external plumbing solutions, then the pipes going in and out of your house may be a source of draughts – resulting in more lost energy. So take a look at any holes in your home and check that they're completely sealed. If they show signs of wear and tear it may be worth cleaning them out and starting again.

Install carpets

Not only do carpets make the atmosphere of a room warmer, they can also act as an insulator too. So consider installing your own carpet or replacing an old, haggard covering to add a greater level of protection to your flooring.