Many people try to build, redesign, or just upgrade their home to make it more environmentally friendly, but too often they can go completely overboard while missing the simple, more cost-effective ways to help the planet. But because there's less money to be made talking about these smaller ways to decrease your environmental footprint, they're often overlooked. So what are some of these simple and environmentally friendly ways you can change your home for the better?

Install Ceiling Fans

If you live in a hotter part of the country and care about the planet, you should probably consider installing some ceiling fans, instead of relying solely on your air conditioner. They may cool less noticeably than air conditioning, but ceiling fans use far less energy, so it's best to have both. On top of this, many modern options are a lot more aesthetically pleasing and unique than they did previously, when all ceiling fans seemed to look identical.

Tint Your Windows

Not only do properly tinted windows look great from the outside, almost appearing like a giant mirror reflecting the scenic surroundings of your home, they also provide many benefits to the inside of your home. Getting your windows tinted doesn't just add to your privacy, it will probably also save you some money on electricity bills, hence reducing the amount of coal burned by power plants. This is because, by reflecting UV rays, tinting will keep your house cooler during the hot Australian summer.

Consider Skylights

By providing both free light and energy, skylights are a great idea for those with larger homes. In addition, they give the option of keeping indoor plants in areas of your home, which would otherwise be in the dark or lit only by artificial light, which they are often incapable of feeding on. On top of this, a larger skylight can offer a great view of the stars at night, particularly if you live in an area which isn't yet plagued by light pollution.

Check Your Lightbulbs

Despite the multiple campaigns urging people to upgrade their lightbulbs when incandescent bulbs were going out of fashion, many people haven't done so since then. It's important to remember that as technology advances, and more people fund the environmentally friendly, high-efficiency lightbulb market, we're clearly going to gain access to more efficient lightbulbs. The first halogen incandescent bulbs people were told to replace their old bulbs with are now getting old, as LEDs are becoming the greener option for home lighting.