If you’ve decided that 2019 is the year you intend to minimise your carbon footprint heres some easy energy saving tips from our guest writer Tim Sharman.
Global warming is already taking a toll on the planet: people and animals are being displaced from their homes in massive numbers, agricultural productivity is being hampered, and climate extremes are becoming increasingly common and increasingly harmful. Over time, the dire impact of global warming will become clearer and clearer but, until then, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to halt its progression. You don’t need to make drastic changes to make a difference. By making some small changes to your home, you can reduce the amount of energy you use, protect the planet and save yourself some money.
Energy efficient light bulbs
Swapping energy-guzzling halogen light bulbs in favour of more efficient (but equally effective) LED spotlights is a great way to save energy. LED spotlights are available in a comprehensive range of shapes, sizes and fittings so you won’t have to scour the shops to find ones that match your requirements. Once installed, they’ll save you £35 a year.
Turn it off
Saving energy can be as simple as making one miniscule change to your daily routine. Instead of leaving TVs, game consoles and DVD players on standby; be sure to switch them off completely at the wall. On average, this tiny change can save you over £30 a year. What seems like a completely inconsequential change can actually make a sizeable difference to your bank balance – and the planet! Check out some of the tips from The Energy Saving Trust
Draught-proofing
Eliminating draughts from your home couldn’t be more straightforward. You can have it done professionally, and doing so will save you around £20 a year on heating bills, but it makes more sense from a financial perspective to do it yourself. Get your hands on draught excluders (you can buy them cheaply or even make your own) and deploy them in vulnerable areas. Draught-proofing makes your home warmer and you won’t waste energy on heating that is just going to be lost to the outdoors.
More efficient showering
Showers are the most water-hungry appliance in the home and finding a way to minimise the volume of water each shower uses is incredibly important – for the amount of money and energy that goes into heating the water, as well as the volume of water used. Installing a water-efficient shower head can dramatically reduce the volume of water that each shower consumes whilst retaining the speed and strength of the flow of water. With this one change, you can save £70 on gas for water heating and £120 on water bills annually. If you’ve had to endure a low flow shower for some time that can easily be resolved: visit Pump Sales Direct to shop quality shower pumps at affordable prices.
So by making some inexpensive, easy-to-implement changes around the home you can save yourself a lot of money and help maintain the health of the planet in the process. Whatever your reasons, whether you’re financially or environmentally-motivated, the result is the same: both the planet and your bank balance benefits from these simple changes.