Environmental Information

Some people believe that a green home is out of bound for an average earner. Actually, what holds homeowners is the perceived cost of a green home. But, if you are ready to spend now and save later on, a green home can be a good choice. Besides, you would contribute in keeping the environment healthy and liveable.

Due to paucity of resources, the necessity for more energy-efficiency is driving the trend towards green homes. You can save a lot through low water consumption, efficient energy consumption and healthy living. Many green home building methods also preserve materials. Using durable and green materials means less in repair and replacement costs. For many, it is not the costs but green living that matters. Even the costs easily get set off in long-term.

Green homes use solar panels to heat water. It needs an investment of about £2,000 or more. Although grants may be available, you can also decide to take out home improvement loans. Using your home as a security, you can get up to £200,000 in the form of secured home improvement loans. The rate of interest is quite low – about 6-7 per cent – provided you have a good credit history. Read the rest of this entry »

What is a green home? Green homes are residences that use fewer resources than traditional homes. Green homes use less energy and less water, they create less waste, and they are healthier places to live. Although it’s easiest to make a home green from the very beginning by incorporating certain design elements and sustainable building materials, even if your home is old (and old-fashioned), you can still make your existing home greener. Here are six suggestions for “greening” your home.

1. Replace old windows with energy efficient windows.

The US government’s Energy Star website states that replacing single-pane windows with newer, energy efficient windows can save homeowners anywhere from $126 to $465 per year in home heating and cooling costs. This puts replacing windows with energy efficient windows at the top of the to do list for green homes.

There are many different types of windows that are energy efficient. The key is to look at the window’s “U-factor” and “R-value”. U-factors describe how the window conducts heat; the lower the U-factor, the more energy efficient it will be. R-values describe how well insulated the window is; the higher the R-value, the more energy efficient the window will be. Read the rest of this entry »