Top tips for Being …Greener in the Home

We hear and read about it everyday about our changing world and how this impacts on our planet. Climate change, pollution, animal extinction, amongst many other issues threaten our planet every second of every day. But what can you and I do about it? What difference can one person make on the very grand scheme of things? In fact, by making just a few simple changes to our lives, can make a huge impact on the environment that we live that can be carried on for generations to come.

• Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth and save 10,000 liters of water a year!
• Have a shower instead of a bath. It's better for your circulation and for the planet. Try and take less time in the shower also. Not only can you save money from your bill, but by trimming off 2-3
minutes of your shower each day, you can save 150 gallons of water per month! Consider getting a low flow shower head.
• Banish plastic bottles of water and invest in a water filter to purify tap water.
• Don’t overheat your home. Install a thermostat to maintain a temperature of 16°C in bedrooms and 19°C in other rooms. Lowering the temperature of your home by just 1°C could save you 7% on your electricity bill. Put more clothes on before turning you heat up!
• Put radiator panels behind your radiator to reflect the heat back into the room. You could save 5-10% off your fuel bills this way.

• Try using ceiling fans instead of air conditioning. To keep cool, use a dehumidifier, close drapes during the day and open windows at night.
• Replace ordinary light bulbs with high-efficiency ones. They may be more expensive but last 12 times longer and use 5 times less electricity.
• Turn off your TV, Hi-fi, PC and DVD player - they still use electricity when not in use. Even while on standby, they consume 10% more electricity.
• Switch the lights off when you leave the room!
• Defrost your freezer. A coat of 4 millimeters of ice can double its consumption of electricity.
• When washing your clothes, switch to phosphate-free washing powder and never run a machine half empty. Try to reduce the temperature of the wash also where you can and choice a shorter cycle.


See Also:

Top tips for Being …Greener in the Home, part2

Top tips for Being …Greener in the Home, part3