Five Steps for Living a Greener Life

These days, many people associate green living with new technology, but it can be as simple as taking a moment to compare electricity prices, or choosing to recycle certain materials in your home.

Living more sustainably is great for both your environment, and your wallet. Today we’ll look at five simple ways you can bring green living into your own home.

1. Turn down your heat

Running your heater constantly won’t just rack up a bigger bill – it also puts more strain on power infrastructure, which impacts the environment.

Turning down your thermostat in winter will help you save on power costs, and help cut down on your carbon emissions.

It’s also worth considering washing your clothes in cold water instead of hot water – you’ll be surprised how much of a difference it makes to your bottom line. 

2. Recycle common products in your home

Be on the lookout for recyclable items in your house. Rather than throwing something out when you no longer want or need it, try to find a new home for it.

Selling, donating, or recycling household goods is a great way to cut down on how much material goes into landfill.

Ultimately, landfills will no longer be an option for us – we’re going to have to figure out how to re-use all of our materials eventually.

3. Reduce your meat intake

We’re not at all suggesting you have to completely cut out animal products in order to be green, but it has been found that avoiding meat and dairy is the ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your carbon footprint.

The impact of agriculture on the environment varies from country to country, but the industrialisation of meat agriculture does have negative effects on the environment, no matter where you are.

If you eat meat every day, consider reducing your intake, and exploring other recipes or take-out options.

4. Turn off electronics at night

Powered devices can continue to cost you even if they’re off.

The only way to make sure your appliances aren’t drawing power at night and costing you while you’re not using them is to switch them off at the wall.

This will help you avoid ‘phantom draw,’ where power is charged to your bill but unused.

5. Catch greener transport

Driving a fuel-efficient car can be more economic and better for the environment than some public transit systems – many of which still have a way to go before they can be considered environmentally friendly.

Global city infrastructures will continue to change in order to be sustainable, so it’s important to support green civil initiatives when they show up in your town. 

What else can you do?

If you’re looking for more ways to go green and cut costs, you can always compare power prices NZ wide to find the best deal for you.

If you think you could be saving on power, don’t wait. Try glimp today to compare power companies, and find what you’re looking for!