Countries with large populations can sap resources and cause environmental problems. Renowned for its high expat population, the UAE is trying to change things and has set itself targets to acquire more electricity from alternative sources by 2020. In fact, Dubai itself has already built one of the world’s largest solar energy parks.
In Abu Dhabi, meanwhile, eco-friendly homes have slowly begun to materialize. As the trend slowly catches on, expats may consider buying more sustainable housing in the UAE. If you’re moving to the UAE and want to live in a more eco-friendly home, here are some tips on taking out your mortgage and making your home greener.
Mortgaging and Sustainability
Remember that going green can save you money. When it comes to home ownership these are no small savings, especially in the long run, so consider environmental aspects when you’re house hunting. Does the place already have a sustainable design, or could you make it more environmentally friendly? When deciding how much you’ll take out for your mortgage, you can include the costs of the changes in it.
Once you’ve organized your mortgage, you can make your home in the UAE that little bit greener. Here are some of those tips we talked about.
Order an energy efficiency audit
Want to run a greener household but aren’t sure where to start? Have an expert audit the place. Then you can see exactly where any lie eco-friendliness issues lie and spend on the right places, rather than wasting money on unnecessary changes.
Check your air conditioning
Air can easily escape cooling system ducts, so check for holes in yours. In a hot country like the UAE, the chances are you’ll put yours on a lot, which isn’t particularly cheap. However, leaking ducts will add more to your bills than necessary. Repair any leaks with duct sealant and keep your bill down.
Replace the old with the new
The UAE may be warm, but you can still feel the cold if your home is in an older building. Think about changing old doors and windows. They don’t insulate as well and heat escapes through them. Review your heating and air conditioning systems, too. As they get older they’llend up using up more energy than they should — and costing you more money than they should, too.
Use less water
That doesn’t mean skipping showers and letting the flies buzz around you, but you canreduce the amount of water you use by placing flow regulators into taps and showers. These restrict the amount of water that flows out of them when you turn them on — and lower your water bill.
If you do have to use a lot of water in one go, such as for cleaning, run the water into a bucket or bowl, rather than just leaving the tap running and cleaning as you go.
These are just a few ways to make your home more eco-friendly. Clearly, when you move to a hot country like the UAE, checking cooling systems and using less water play major parts, and you can order an energy efficiency audit to identify other issues. Make the necessary adjustments and both your finances and the planet will thank you for it.
If you’d like more information on environmentally friendly practices in the home and other places, you can visit Friends of the Earth’s international and learn more.
