When the His & Hers team thinks about being more eco-friendly, the first things that spring to mind tend to be re-using, recycling and opting for sustainable, rather than fast fashion. However, improving your eco-credentials can also involve making home improvements that help with energy efficiency (which should also have the added benefit of reducing your energy bills a bit).

This week, we’ve been having a think about what you can do beyond recycling, and taking anything you may have purged during a Marie Kondo phase to the charity shop. Here are His & Hers’ practical tips for being (a bit) more eco-friendly, even if, like us, you don’t have any DIY skills…

• Step One. Start with insulation. OK, insulation might not sound as sexy as replacing fast fashion with investment pieces, or editing your wardrobe, but if your home isn’t well insulated, this could be costing you money every month in wasted energy, not to mention damaging your eco credentials. Plus, if your pipes aren’t well insulated, when water freezes, they could burst, leading to expensive (and inconvenient) repair work being needed. Why not start small by ensuring that your pipes are insulated. Simply visit a specialist site like: Pipe Lagging (the UK’s number one supplier of pipe insulation supplies) to get an idea of how much the materials to insulate your pipes would cost.
• Step Two. Switch appliances off when they’re not in use. At the risk of sounding like your dad,even the simple step of switching off all your accessories when they’re not in use and switching off lights as you go can help to make your home more eco-friendly. And, of course, it’s one of those little steps that’ll save you some money on your electricity bills, too. Price comparison website Moneysupermarket recently advised their readers to: “Turn off electrical appliances – leaving them on standby wastes energy and money. You could save around £30 a year by switching them off. Households with more gadgets could save even more.”
• Step Three. Invest in good quality blinds / curtains. You’ll find more blinds and curtains on the market these days that can help your home stay cooler in summer and warmer in winter. And even if you just choose a simple set of curtains or blinds, closing them at night will help to keep some heat in, preventing wasted energy. Adding good quality blinds or curtains will not only make your home feel cosier in the evenings (and help avoid unnecessary heat loss) it’ll also give your room a nice style update, as an added bonus.

We’re very proud to bring you this post in association with Pipe Lagging. The words are all ours, but the pipe insulation inspiration comes from them. If you’ve recently made any changes to make your home more eco-friendly, we’d love to hear from you. Please tell us all about it in the comments section!

For more inspiration for your home, please pay a visit to our regularly update interiors page.