Thanks to innovations in both building methods and materials, new-build homes are more sustainable than ever before.
The new regulation also means that all new-build homes have to strive to be as sustainable as possible by 2025, with the ultimate goal of 70-80% fewer carbon emissions than homes built in previous years. The aim is to have homes that are easier to keep warm in winter and cooler in summer, be this through better insulation, new windows or any of the exciting new eco-innovations hitting the market.
Then the home is handed over to the lucky new homeowner. So how do you become more sustainable in your new home?
RECYCLE
We are all familiar with the concept of recycling by now. We have been splitting our paper, glass and plastics for a long while now. The more vigilant you can be with what you put in your general waste, the better. If you have the full set, including garden waste, food waste, glass, paper, tin, plastic, even better.
But let’s go a little further…
REDUCE
Aim to use less single-use plastics, thanks to the rise in popularity of reusable items, it’s pretty easy to make some small switches that make a big difference. Reduce waste food by shopping smarter. We have all been victims of food shopping hungry! Make a meal plan to keep you on track, try to choose ethical and reduced packaging items when you can, and recycle any you can’t avoid.
REUSE
As we talked about above, more and more of our everyday essentials are becoming reusable. Reusable shopping bags, bottles, straws, and makeup wipes are just a handful of easy switches you can make without interrupting your daily routine.
PLANT POWER
Meat-Free Mondays are a great way to get the whole household together to try something new while supporting a sustainable lifestyle. The meat industry is responsible for a considerable number of emissions, but equally, the water consumption for soya, cashews and other veggie/vegan favourites can be quite high. Find a nice balance between the two and you’ll find you feel better and healthier too.
ECO UPGRADES
It’s also a great idea to look for furniture and materials from sustainable sources, such as cork or bamboo. These woods in particular are easy to grow sustainably and ethically while making furniture, sheets, pillows and more that are of great quality.
Many modern style furniture, popular in newly built homes, use these sustainable materials and are hard wearing so there’s no need to replace them as often.
Also, consider upcycling older or second-hand furniture. Some older pieces of furniture only need a lick of paint or varnish to look like new again. Older furniture is often known to be better made, especially those made of solid wood.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Heating – Of course, we don’t think you need to suffer the cold for the sake of being eco-friendly. But consider turning down the radiators in rooms you do not use, or don’t tend to spend a lot of time in.
Invest in a smart thermostat that you can control outside the home to switch your heating on just before you come home to steadily get the place nice and toasty. This means the house isn’t cold when you arrive. It also means you don’t need to have the heating as high to battle the cold.
Alternatively, if you have a scheduled day, set your heating to come on at designated times of day, and most importantly, switch off after a couple of hours. A lot of new boilers will work smarter, not harder, aiming for a temperature and steadily keeping this rather than switching off and having to use excess energy to restart when the heating comes on.
Incidentally, all these tips can work with an AC unit that is attempting to cool your home, as well.
Appliances – White goods such as your washing machine and dryer or your hob and oven are some of the biggest energy consumers. If you can choose energy efficient appliances, this gives you a head start. Many newer appliances are made to be as energy efficient as possible.
Manage your everyday use of these appliances and be mindful of the time of day if you would like to save some money. Using appliances at off-peak times reduces the load on power but avoiding their use as much as possible is the ideal. Dry your clothes outside when you can, cook in a slow cooker or air fryer and boil your kettle just for what you need.
HOW WE AIM TO HELP
All our homes are built to the highest standard with a mind on the eco-friendly. We build with biodiversity in mind returning and maintaining land equal to each of our developments. This helps to support our development’s sustainability, protects our environment as well as provides picturesque views for all our homeowners.
With development in East Markham with homes ready for new homeowners and another development in the works for Worksop, you can begin your new home journey right away. Just give us a call to book a viewing.
Check out our other blogs for more inspiration and help on your journey to a new home. We are also on Facebook and Instagram where we post little tips and mood boards to help you along.
