Green home energy solutions

With climate change becoming more urgent than ever, it’s important for homeowners to do their part with green home energy solutions.

Green home energy solutions are any changes you make to your property that help to reduce its carbon emissions and make it more sustainable. This includes small changes such as switching to LED lighting, installing new insulation or even installing solar panels, all of which are great ways to help protect the environment and reduce your energy bills.

Types of green power solutions

The energy efficiency of your home can be greatly improved by introducing a range of green power solutions. Whether you make small or large alterations, they all make a difference to the environment.

Some changes to consider include:

• Installing solar panels to power your home (you can even sell excess energy back to the grid in warmer months)
• Changing your lightbulbs to efficient CFL or LED options
• Replacing your current taps and showerheads with low flow models
• Choosing energy-efficient appliances when replacing older machines

Tips for building a green home

One of the best ways of making sure your property is as green as possible is to build it from scratch. Whilst this is not something many people have the means to do, if you’re in a position to do so, you can massively reduce your carbon emissions. Plus, you can design the layout and interior of your home to fit your exact specifications.

Below are some tips for building a green home:

• Install insulation to reduce energy loss through the walls and roof of your home
• Either install solar panels or look into installing a renewable heating system, such as a biomass boiler or a heat pump
• Use energy-efficient lighting
• Work with an architect or designer who is familiar with building green homes
• Consider a rainwater harvesting system to recycle water for use in your home
• Use recycled or reclaimed materials to build your home
• Build using natural, sustainable materials
• Install double or triple glazed windows to help prevent energy from being wasted
• Choose underfloor heating to more efficiently warm your home
• Install smart, efficient thermostats to reduce wasted energy

Green home ideas

You don’t need to rush out and completely transform your home overnight to make an impact, you can try some of the below ideas to make a difference:

• Look for old pieces of furniture to upcycle rather than buying brand new items
• Plant flowers to attract more bees
• Install larger windows or add new ones in darker parts of your home to reduce your use of lighting during the day
• Add air purifying plants to your home to improve air quality

For more green home ideas, check out our green home ideas guide and sustainable living guide. Here we’ve got some ways of making your home more sustainable and information about government grants.

Ready to make positive changes?

If you’re looking to start upgrading to a more sustainable way of living, then you can take some of the suggestions in this guide. While you can definitely make some of the suggested changes yourself, you’ll need professional help for the more complex additions. When it comes to window fitting, insulation installation and adding energy systems, we’d recommend contacting a tradesperson.

Concerned about inviting a stranger into your home? There’s no need to be. Our members pass through 12 checks to give you peace of mind that you’re hiring someone trustworthy and qualified. In addition, our guarantee means that if in the unlikely event something does go wrong, we’ll provide up to £1,000 of cover to make things right (terms and conditions apply).

Once you’re ready to go ahead with your green project, just use our handy search feature to find experienced tradespeople in your area. If you need further advice and support, take a look at the HomeOwners Alliance website. There you’ll find helpful articles about home improvements.

Which tradespeople should I use for the job?

This really depends on how you plan to improve your home. For example, window fitters can help to upgrade your windows, roofers can install or enhance your roof, and solar panels can be installed by an electrician or dedicated solar panel installer. Remember to use our free search feature to instantly find professionals.