Tweak your eco-footprint

Protecting the climate is all the rage now and each one of us can make a difference. Even more awesome is that these changes will put a little more money in your pocket. The two central themes for eco-awareness are water and energy.

If you’re keen on using earth-friendly detergents, why not reroute your kitchen and laundry water to a tank and use that grey water for your garden? Or, if you prefer your trusted brands, use that water for flushing your loo! Include low-flow taps and showerheads and you’re saving litres and litres of water. A regular wash in your washing machine uses up to 300 litres, but a twin tub halves that amount.

Energy: the older the appliance, the more wastage. Megabuild has Energy Star appliances that are more energy-efficient. Consider investing in a gas stove. Heats quicker, uses less. Swop that aircon for a ceiling fan, slap gauze on those windows and open them up at night and invite the coolth.

If your home is not north-facing, use blinds to your western side, keeping them closed during the day to keep the heat out, and opening them up at night. In winter, you simply reverse the pattern. If you have a dark corner, consider a new window or a skylight to let the light in – harnessing nature and saving on power.

Insulate! Get your geyser insulation kit from Megabuild to cover those exposed copper pipes. You’d be amazed how much you save. Or let Megabuild strengthen your roof and install a solar geyser.

Lighting? Besides LED bulbs, Megabuild has solar-powered security spotlights powered by the sun. And light up your pathways with a variety of stunning solar lamps.

Consider repainting your roof with reflective, lead-free paint. Good for you and Mother Earth, durable, cool in summer, warm in winter.

Stop paving. Allow the water to seep into the soil and release the day’s heat. Plant indigenous trees which grow fast and survive on little water. They offer shade, cooling everything down. Limit the use of white stones and keep an indigenous garden natural and interspersed with grasses and succulents. If you have fruit trees that need water regularly, plant some tubers like potato and sweet potato around them. As long as they’re getting sun, you’re getting carbs. Spaces that require regular watering should be used for veggies. Permaculture is a great way to go and Megabuild can help.

If you’re building, consider the cost of production. Aluminium is ecologically ‘expensive’ to produce but wood is a renewable resource. Rammed earth has been a tried and tested method of building for centuries. And it lasts.
Google the Green Building Council of Namibia, Nina Maritz Architects and Megabuild.

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LIFESTYLE: Mega Centre, Chasie Street and Thobias Akuenje Str.
Phone: 061 204 0700