From Guest Blogger Dimitris: Canal Boat Eco-living–Three Steps to a Greener Floating Home

Making people aware of the threat of global warming and the importance of turning to green energy has already been a long battle – and it’s not over.

Still, people across the world continue to come up with several creative ways to live and work in a more environmentally-friendly manner.

From putting recycling in the limelight to developing sustainable energy sources and kinder alternatives for petrol-guzzling cars, the past couple of decades have seen mountains of progress in the right direction.

But the latest green trend making waves throughout the UK is set to take eco-living to a whole new level.

The canal boat revolution

An estimated 11,000 people have taken to Britain’s waterways, many of them in pursuit of a more eco-friendly way of life that being a fulltime resident of a canal boat allows.

After all, it’s easy to stick to your green principles when your home floats – limiting water consumption and fuel preservation is simply a matter of course for experienced boaters.

In doing so, they can also find themselves saving money and enjoying a unique perspective on what owning a house entails.

Understanding green measures

Maybe you’ve already taken the plunge and moved into your canal boat, or perhaps you’re still only thinking about setting sail on an eco-living adventure on the water.

Regardless, you need to understand how to make your new home as environmentally-friendly as possible. Here are our top tips for joining the canal boat revolution.

#1: keeping an eye on chemicals

As you’ll be living in very close proximity to nature, being aware of the products you use and the potentially harmful chemicals they contain is key. Swapping to organic cleaning supplies and ensuring your toilet is in full working order will help reduce waterway pollution and contamination.

Similarly, you need to use specially designed materials and products – from marine glue to non-toxic paint – when it comes to all maintenance tasks, to prevent any nasty leaks.

#2: saving on power

Turning off lights or sockets and limiting the amount of hot water used every day is much easier on a canal boat, where the obvious lack of an endless supply of power acts as a continuous reminder.

The main problem area will be keeping warm, especially as the temperature drops and the water around you starts to freeze. Even looking out the window will have you shivering, so make sure you have plenty of hot water bottles and blankets to keep your living space cosy and toasty.

#3: make green adjustments

Much like a traditional house, there are several green renovations you can make to reduce the environmental impact of your canal boat.

Swapping the diesel engine to an electric option, fitting solar panels and batteries, installing an eco-friendlier compost toilet, or simply switching to energy-efficient light bulbs – whatever your budget, so long as you’re prepared to do some research there’s scope for improvement.

Whether you’re on dry land or starting out with your new canal houseboat, embracing green ways of living is always tricky to begin with, but as long as you invest wisely in eco-friendly measures you’ll able to manage the transition with ease.