Owning a house implies responsibility, but ensuring its sustainability is an act that ensures the well-being of the planet we live on and can greatly reduce the monthly expenses of the family budget.

In this article, we will provide you with 3 tips that can make your house more efficient and sustainable.

Improve your house’s isolation

Improving thermal insulation is a way of contributing to the comfort of your home’s interior and, in turn, of lowering the price of your electricity bill. Thus, installing thermal cut and double-glazed windows, insulating the roof using preferably ecological materials, and using shading devices such as blinds and curtains, are crucial elements to ensure good thermal insulation and reduce the building’s energy needs.

Reuse used cooking oils to make scented candles

Did you know that, according to Quercus, one liter of oil is enough to pollute about one million liters of water? It is essential to separate and forward this waste, and it should not be discharged into the sewers (it may damage the infrastructures and plumbing and promote the appearance of pests).

It is crucial that we place used cooking oils in the appropriate selective collection containers, known as “Oleões”. In cases where there is no collection system (in Melgaço there are “oleões” in all parishes), the used cooking oils should be placed in unsorted waste, properly sealed in a plastic bottle.

On the other hand, there are ways of reusing oils and one of them is the making of aromatic candles. Did you know that this is possible?

Watch this TV Globo report with Cristiane Lacerda and learn how to do it yourself!

Watch the TV Globo report

Install photovoltaic solar energy

Harnessing the sun to light your home is positive, however taking advantage of it as a renewable energy source for your livelihood can be even better.

The installation of solar panels has been a strong bet for homes, as it is possible to produce electricity from the sun and consume it at home, reducing the energy bill.

In addition to photovoltaic solar panels, if you have no way of heating domestic hot water in a sustainable way, you can also install solar panels for this purpose.

With technological advances and also some financial incentives from the government itself, the advantages in purchasing solar panels are many.

Making a home efficient, reusing products to extend their useful lifetime and using renewable energies to reduce your energy bill can generate positive impacts on our wellbeing and, of course, for our planet, which is our shared home.