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By Amanda Henderson, preschool teacher (guest contribution)
Finding a home that meets your expectations when it comes to environmental sustainability can be difficult, especially if your standards are high amidst Canada’s chronic home shortage. That said, the environmental media website Blue & Green Tomorrow notes that the demand for more eco-friendlier homes is rising and so is the likelihood of securing one.
Such homes are not cheap, as new green-building regulations, construction materials and labour shortages are adding to construction costs. A CD Howe Institute report found: “A federal government plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Canadian homes to zero within eight years would cost up to $6.3 billion annually and require the retrofitting of more than 500,000 homes every year.”
Before attempting to electrify everything in your home, investigate the capacity of your local electrical grid and power panels in your home to ensure that you are able to upgrade as required to handle the extra load. Reports are now emerging that the provinces’ energy grids cannot support all the net-zero political demands. BC Hydro told Glacier Media in July that power demand is now three years ahead of current capacity.
Even if you don't find a home that ticks off all your eco-friendly boxes, there are things you can do to make your home more environmentally friendly, including:
Smart thermostats to optimize energy output
LED lighting to save on energy bills
Close proximity to work or school to help reduce carbon monoxide emissions and give you more free time
Replacing high-pressured shower head with a low-powered one to save water
Lowering the temperature on your water
Using power strips at power points to reduce power usage when it comes to charging things
Recycling and composting
All homes nowadays should be built taking the environment into account which means it is getting easier to find or create the home of your eco-friendly dreams. #blog #blogger #lifestyle #bloggerstyle #blogging #bloggers #blogpost #ecohomes #ecofriendly #greenliving #ecoliving #homes #sustainableliving #ecofriendlyhome