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Eco and cost savers - 10 tips |
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The following is ten tips which can support both the purse and the environment.
1. Don't leave the tap running - You only need one glassful of water when brushing your teeth. For every minute the tap runs, you waste at least 10 litres. Whenever possible, put the plug in rather than washing hands under a running hot tap. You could save approximately £15 per year. Replace washers on dripping taps – in just one day you might be wasting enough hot water to fill a bath. 2. Take showers not baths - A five-minute shower uses about a third of the water of a bath, which consumes an average of 80 to 200 litres of water. Remember power showers can use more water than a bath in less than five minutes. 3. Switch off - appliances and boilers. - Why waste electricity and hot water you’re not going to use? If your off on holidays why not look at switching the boiler back on when you return. You can purchase a power switch off device called energenie. Not only does energenie use recycleable packaging their device does work (as it is on the tin!) 4. Don't dispose, reuse! - Use sponges and rags instead of paper towels. Look at other ways of using clothes – perhaps start a sewing group locally (perhaps make your own draught excluder – a good stopper for the doors). An old t-shirt can be great to be substituted as a rag. Perhaps you could pass on the clothing to younger members within the family or friends. With cheaper clothes being sold, clothing is not necessarily lasting as longer as “expensive” clothing would. Therefore landfills are now being filled with clothing – . Replace aerosols with pump sprays or even burn incense or candles to freshen the air. 5. Turn off unnecessary lighting - In most homes, about 10-15% of the electricity bill is for lighting so energy-saving light bulbs can cut your costs considerably. Unless it is for safety reasons, turn off lights in corridors. If you’re watching TV in the living room, switch off lights in any other rooms not being used. Look for eco friendly candles… 6. Insulate your house - Insulation is one of the best ways to reduce heating bills and cut CO2 emissions. Also, replace old windows and be sure to seal holes and cracks in your house. A well-insulated house can prevent hundreds of pounds of CO2 emissions per year and can cut your heating bills by up to 20 per cent. 7. Stop using plastic bags - An estimated 500 billion - one trillion plastics bags are used worldwide each year, translating into one million bags used per minute. They break down into toxic waste, polluting our soil, oceans and rivers and killing countless marine animals and flora. Buy a few canvas or reusable shopping bags for your next trip to the supermarket. Lobby for plastic bag consumption tax - there are strong arguments for and against this, but in Ireland and Germany, where shops do not give plastic bags out for free, 99% of shoppers bring their own bags. 8. Washing - A lower temperature of 40°C (ideally 35°C) is hot enough to wash whites and soiled garments. This saves up to three-quarters of the cost of washing at boil-wash cycle. Always make sure your washing machine has a full load. You can always hand wash items and hang them on clothes-horse or on the radiators. Look out for eco friendly detergents (Aubrey do a great multipurpose wash which is suitable for clothing and dishes, Soapnuts are also another option, Almawin is another eco friendly washing liquid). 9. Heating -Turn your heating down by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 percent could save around £60 per year. If you have a programmer, set your heating and hot water to come on only when required rather than all the time. Additionally you can also place aluminium foil behind the radiators, this helps to conserve heat – by reflecting the heat back into the room. 10. Walk, cycle or even car share - Nearly 50% of all car journeys are less than 3 miles. All of these journeys could be completed by walking or cycling. Both of these types of transport are much cheaper than other filling up with petrol (gas). This is especially important with the price of oil being so high. As an added benefit it will also help you get fit! |
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