Here are four climate-friendly lifestyle investments that’ll reduce your impact.
1. Consider going electric on the road
Electric vehicles are growing in popularity and becoming more accessible as new models are developed. There are currently four different types of electric vehicles (EV):
- Battery electric vehicles
- Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles
- Fuel cell electric vehicles
- Non-plug in hybrid electric vehicles
Each offer different ways of reducing the impact of your driving habits. Battery EVs use external charging points. Non-plug in hybrid EVs use regenerative braking to charge the battery without the need for external units.
There are many environmental and lifestyle benefits of switching to electric vehicles. Reducing or eliminating your car’s greenhouse gas emissions, simpler maintenance and upkeep, and reduced fuel costs are some of the benefits. With cost of living on the rise, savings from EVs could have a lasting impact on your everyday expenses.
Electric vehicles are available to buy new and second hand. Discounted financing options are available to support your purchase of EVs or associated charging solutions.
2. Explore home renewables
As well as going green on the road, you can go green at home, too. Home renewables allow you to generate renewable energy for your personal use, and can offer many environmental and money saving benefits.
A popular home renewable option is solar panels, which use sunlight to generate the energy required to power your home. Air source heat pumps are another common solution with reverse cycle air conditioners. These can warm your home by transferring “free” heat absorbed from outside air into indoor rooms, or into central heating systems. Heat pump hot water systems are also becoming increasing popular.
These home renewables can slash your energy bills and drastically reduce the carbon footprint of your home. Financing may be easier than you think, with discounts available when borrowing for the installation of home renewables.
3. Equip your home with energy efficient features
Reducing your carbon footprint doesn’t have to mean investing in elaborate systems. Simpler efficiencies in your home can make a huge difference, too. These can include:
- Grey water systems that recycle water used in showers, baths and sinks and pump it back into your toilet and other appliances.
- Double glazing windows can keep heat from escaping your home and provide a raft of sound reduction benefits if you live on busy road or close to noise pollution.
- Insulating your home also reduces heat loss, cuts heating bills and minimises your need to rely on energy-guzzling heating systems. Insulating can involve cavity wall insulation, draught proofing, floor insulation, roof and loft insulation and solid wall insulation.
- Smart home technology can give you greater visibility over which aspects of your home are consuming the most energy, and offer greater control over how you manage it
4. Check the energy efficiency of your white goods
White goods like dishwashers, washing machines, fridges and tumble driers can be optimised to use less energy. Different models of appliances have a different energy efficiency rating, which is something worth considering if you’re looking to cut your carbon footprint. It’s not necessarily worth replacing your white goods for more energy efficient ones, but when the time comes to purchase your next appliance, consider the energy rating. It’ll slash your impact and cut costs at the same time. Plus, financing can be discounted when borrowing to fund energy efficient white goods.
Bendigo Bank’s climate commitment
We recognise the importance of climate action, and our responsibility to contribute.
This is reflected in our suite of green lending products that empower our customers to invest in more sustainable choices.
Plus, we're focused on reducing our own carbon and environmental footprint, having attained carbon neutral status and moving towards 100 percent renewable energy for our operations by 2025.