It’s no secret that we as a nation need to become a more eco-friendly community – all keeping an eye on our own carbon footprints.
But it’s not always easy to implement these ‘greener’ things into our everyday lives.
Here are the 10 top ways to kick start your way to a greener you:
1. Green Technologies:
Installing things like solar panels and ground source heat pumps are an excellent way of becoming more eco-friendly as well as significantly lowering your fuel bills.
Some people are put off by the initial cost of the installation – however there are a lot of government initiatives including the latest scheme The Green Deal which can offer you a fund to make energy efficient improvements to your home which you can then pay back through the savings you make in your energy bills.
2. Switch to Energy Efficient Light Bulbs:
The incandescent light bulb has come a long way over the years, becoming a permanent fixture in our homes. However, there’s a new, more energy efficient kid on the block – the LED.
They may be slightly more expensive to buy than the standard light bulb but they last much, much longer.
An incandescent light bulb will last around 1,000 to 2,000 hours whereas an LED will typically last between 25,000 and 50,000 hours.
3. Be Smart with Electronics:
Even in standby mode things like your television will still be using electricity, the best thing to do it just turn anything you aren’t using off at the plug.
You can get a gadget called the power strip, which you can plug all your electronics into, and then simply flip a switch to turn them all off. This will stop you from wasting electricity in the home as well as saving you money.
4. Upgrade Your Insulation
Poorly insulated homes will constantly lose heat through the windows, doors, walls and the roof – leading to high fuel bills. Ensuring your home is properly insulated is one of the most effective ways of lowering fuel bills and avoiding wasting that precious heat.
Some energy companies actually incorporate insulation into their service so it’s worth finding out if you can have it fitted for free. It’s also something that is covered in The Green Deal.
5. Clean Green
Stop buying household cleaners and aerosols that contain potentially dangerous toxins that can harm the environment. Opt for either the natural cleaner available in the supermarket or utilise things like lemon juice and vinegar to get your home sparkly clean.
6. Ditch the Paper Bills
Those bills and bank statements that plop through the letter box every month are all wasting paper. Switch to online bills and receive them via email instead – banks and providers will often give you a little discount for choosing the online option.
7. Make Your Showers Shorter
Keep an eye on how much time you’re spending in the shower! It’s tempting; particularly in the winter to spend those extra minutes under that lush warm water, however shortening your shower can save a lot of water and money! For every two minutes you shorten your shower by you can conserve more than 10 gallons of water.
8. Buy Local
We all know we should be buying local – but next time you’re in the supermarket just think of all the fuel that has been used to transport the food from its source to your shopping trolley. Try to buy from local farmers and markets – not only will you be doing your bit to lower greenhouse gases, you’re also supporting your local economy and providing the farmers with that much needed income.
9. Recycle Your Old Mobiles
The average mobile phone lasts around 18 months before we get bored and upgrade to a newer handset – this means that 130 million mobiles could potentially be thrown away each year. When mobile phones end up in landfill the batteries and elements introduce toxic substances into the environment.
Make sure you recycle your phone; there are plenty of online companies who provide this service.
10. Think Before You Throw
When you’re having a clear out, whether it is old clothes or toys your children have grown out of – don’t just bin it. Have a think if there is anyone else who might benefit from them – perhaps a young parent? You could always take unwanted items to charity shops or advertise them online using a website like Freecycle.org.
This post was written by Meredith Watts on behalf of Solar Tech, leading providers of green technologies such as solar panels and ground source heat pumps.
Related articles
- 10 Easy Ways to Be More Eco-Friendly! (budgetfriendlytoo.wordpress.com)
- Efficient Light Bulb Study Generates Heated Debate (greatenergychallengeblog.com)
- Top 5 Green Home Renovations (greendiary.com)
Tagged: Eco-Friendly, Environmental technology, SolarTech
