The small house trend is massive, and a renaissance of basic living is sweeping the country. So what's the big deal about living in a shed-sized house? Tiny dwellings, the largest housing fad since industrial kitchens, are energy efficiency superheroes. Even if you don't want to downsize to a compact dwelling, the world of living small has numerous energy-efficient techniques.
What is a tiny house?
The average home in the United Kingdom is 2,600 square feet, which is 1,000 square feet larger than the average home 50 years ago. Tiny dwellings, which are about 186 square feet on average, are all the rage.
Energy-efficient residences are no longer exclusively for off-the-grid rebels or TV fantasy homes. The goal of green, tiny house living is becoming more and more a reality in the mainstream property market.
The History of Tiny Houses
Henry David Thoreau, who spent more than two months in a 150 square foot cabin in 1854 writing his time in "Walden," is credited with inspiring tiny home aficionados. Fast forward to 1987, when Lest Walker released "Tiny Houses: Or How to Get Away From It All." As interest in compact living spaces rises due to blogs and TV shows, several writers continue to create books on them.
UtilityKing enjoys a good trend, but its home energy savings that we're pursuing! Making a tiny house energy efficient isn't difficult — the general opinion among people looking for the energy-saving secrets of a small-space lifestyle is that smaller areas generally correspond with less energy usage.
Though it may appear obvious, many people overlook the energy use and items used in the building of a home, not only the energy-consuming gadgets inside. Building a small house is typically both inexpensive and energy efficient! Consider this: it takes seven logging trucks to contain enough timber for a typical American home. In comparison, the timber used in small houses requires only half of one logging truck.
There are many varieties of light bulbs. On the market, there are two types of energy-efficient light bulbs: LED and CFL. Though CFL lights (the curly light bulb) consume 25-35% less energy than incandescent bulbs, LED bulbs (the long light bulb) utilize 75% less energy. Both are excellent energy-efficient alternatives to standard incandescent light bulbs, but LED is the ideal bulb for lighting an energy-efficient compact dwelling.
The number of light bulbs. How many light bulbs do you require for your home?
Tiny homes are naturally energy efficient, with smaller living areas that require fewer light fixtures to adequately illuminate a dwelling. The average home has 45 light bulbs installed to appropriately illuminate all rooms, totaling 12,773 kWh per year. Tiny dwellings only need approximately six light bulbs and use an average of 914 kWh per year, or about 7% of a typical home's kWh!
Your power bills. You may be used to paying for the quantity of energy you consume every month (kWh), but have you considered the rates you pay for each kWh?
You can select a variable* or fixed-rate plan from retail energy suppliers such as Constellation. A fixed-rate plan keeps your rate constant, giving you a clear indication of how much your energy supply will cost each month. Mix the conveniences of a fixed-rate plan with energy-saving light bulbs, and we think you could just be a happy small house-era at the end of every month!
Though it may appear obvious, many people overlook the energy use and items used in the building of a home, not only the energy-consuming gadgets inside. Building a small house is typically both inexpensive and energy efficient! Consider this: it takes seven logging trucks to contain enough timber for a typical American home. In comparison, the timber used in small houses requires only half of one logging truck.
Heating and cooling are now much easier.
Smaller rooms imply less regions to heat or cool.
Heating an ordinary home emits around 8,000 pounds of CO2 per year. Every year, tiny residences release 558 pounds of CO2.
Cooling the average home produces around 4,000 pounds of CO2 per year. Tiny homes emit just 286 pounds of CO2 each year.
Let's be clear: small dwellings aren't affordable. They typically cost between $30,000 and $40,000. If you locate a small house that is less expensive (in price) than typical, you've either gotten really fortunate or you're getting a tiny house made of less expensive (in quality) and less sustainable materials.
So why do people adopt tiny house living?
The initial investment in a green, tiny house may appear to be rather high, but the main benefit of living in an energy efficient small house is not saving money on construction, but saving money in the long term by establishing a sustainable home. These energy efficient housing ideas and decisions include purchasing a $900 compost toilet with the aim of saving 100,000 liters of flushed water per year, as well as adding solar panels to lower your monthly power bill.
Living in a green little house doesn't leave much place for unnecessary items. Though buying items you like is a great pleasure every now and then, many people believe that living with less possessions leads to a calmer and structured existence. From Becoming Minimalist, here is a list of many areas of life where tiny house living might help, such as clothes, toys, cooking tools, and televisions.
How many clothes do you possess that you've only worn once or twice? It's simple for us to gather clothing from all eras of our lives, but keeping unneeded garments for too long can lead to clutter. The benefit of living little is that it compels you to look at everything you own and get rid of what you don't need. Clothing donations to thrift stores are an excellent opportunity to give back to the community. If you want to make money, there are certain websites that pay cash for old stuff, as well as brick-and-mortar stores.
The "Unitasker" is a new object in your kitchen that quickly clutters and consumes space. These inconspicuous, efficient-looking tools have only one goal. Typically, it is a duty that can be completed in a few more milliseconds with another more adaptable kitchen equipment. Cut them out and save up some space in your kitchen drawers!
Consider this: a 100-400 square foot room with many televisions on. Anyone would be driven insane by the cacophony. Fortunately, there are less obtrusive solutions for a home, such as tablets and laptop computers that allow you to view most of your favorite TV episodes and movies. Most importantly, most portable computers and devices use less electricity, resulting in a more energy efficient home.
What's better than waking up in a new place still in the comfort of your home? Most small homes are built on wheels and may be transported to anywhere the owner is permitted to set up shop. With the rise of remote employment (telecommuting and work from home jobs), compact houses are an ideal complement to a nomadic existence. You'll learn that mobile homes offer maximum fun when most work days seem like vacation days.
The Future of Tiny Homes
You can decide if it's right for you or simply interesting to observe now that you know what a tiny house is and how to embrace the living small trend! Meanwhile, the energy saving secrets of tiny house living are worth implementing since they may help you save money on energy, organize your space, and tidy your home. Who knew a little house could make such a tremendous difference in our lives and save so much energy?
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