We are all trapped at home and probably going a little stir-crazy during the pandemic. Why not use the spare time to cut your carbon footprint? Here are three ideas proven to cut your bills and carbon footprint that are all easy to do. I have used them myself. They are discussed in more detail in the special “Stuck-at-Home” COVID19 Edition of Zero Carbon Home that you can download from my store for free by clicking here. Use coupon code COVID19 at the checkout.
- Insulate the hot water pipes in your basement. This usually pays for itself in months. You can order this pipe insulation online from Loewe’s or Home Depot (or other hardware stores), have it delivered to your house (hence avoiding any COVID-19 risk) and install it in minutes.
- Insulate the ceiling of your basement with 12” of fiberglass. This usually pays for itself in less than a year. You can order this online from Loewe’s or Home Depot (or other hardware stores), have it delivered to your house (hence avoiding any COVID-19 risk) and install it in a day or two. Wear gloves and a face mask – it does not need to be an N95 respirator – a cloth mask (like a ski mask) will do. This is the insulation I used myself. It has a high recycled glass content.
- Add “fit from the inside” windows to your double-glazed windows to make them triple-glazed. These windows usually pay for themselves in a few years. You can order them to the exact size of your windows from any of several companies. Read my review of four different companies’ windows in the mini book which you can download by clicking here.