With rising electricity prices and growing climate concerns, you may be finding yourself reconsidering your electricity use. Are you spending more money on bills than you need to be? Are there ways to make your house more sustainable while saving a bit of cash? The good news is that there are many ways to boost efficiency and sustainability in your household; some simple, some more complex. Here are a couple of ways to make your house more environmentally friendly while saving your hard-earned money!

1. Invest in solar panels – While this may be a large up-front cost, the money it saves in the long run is well worth it. Solar panels can reduce and even eliminate your power bills by generating your own source of energy from the sun. Some states even offer financial incentives and tax breaks for installing solar.

2. Insulate your house – Instead of running the heater all winter, consider adding insulation (especially if your house is older). There are plenty of government-led incentives (some even reimburse 100%) and it will greatly reduce your heating and cooling bills.

3. Plants trees/a veggie garden – Trees planted in the right places can shade your house in summer and block cold winds and draughts in the winter, reducing your need for an A/C or heater. If you have a green thumb, a veggie garden is a great way to save money on groceries and reduce food waste. Make sure you compost your scraps!

4. Switch to LED lightbulbs – LED bulbs are approximately 6 times more efficient and generally last much longer than old school iridescent bulbs. or you!

5. Hang dry your laundry – Dryers are one of the main culprits of expensive electricity bills, so you can save money by hang-drying your laundry as much as possible.

How do you make your house more sustainable? Share your tips in the comments!