Saving energy at home
With global warming on the rise, more and more countries are struggling to meet the terms laid out in the Kyoto Accord. Believe it or not, we can help with the world's energy crisis and save a few extra pounds every month by cutting down our energy consumption in the home.
A lot of modern appliances run secretly in the background and they are always drawing a little bit of current. Appliances like televisions, when on standby, still use a little bit of power. It is a good idea to pull the plug out of appliances when they are not in use. In winter, our thermostats don't always need to be turned up so high do they? We should keep them at the minimum settings for comfort and limit our heating profile so that we don't use up too much energy making our homes more comfortable.
We can also subsidise our traditional energy consumption by using alternative forms of heating and lighting - skylights are amazing - they lend an airiness to homes as well as reducing the amount of lighting that a home needs. There are alternative environmentally friendly light bulbs that use fractions of the energy of traditional filament bulbs. There are many other ways to capture solar energy, like solar panels which are extremely eco friendly and can contribute to your electricity needs. Solar cells are like batteries that charge using sunlight and they can power small appliances in your home.
When you are cleaning, appliances like washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers use a lot of energy, you should make sure that when you use these appliances they are fully loaded so that you run the machine at its most efficient levels. We should make sure that our fridges and freezers are not set at a level that is too cold as this also causes unnecessary energy consumption. Double glazing helps save energy by insulating your homes more efficiently in winter.
If you spend a little bit of time thinking about how you can save energy around the home, and everyone else did so too - imagine the difference it would make.
Have a look at friends of the earth (new window) to find out more about saving energy at home.
This is general guidance and should not be read as authoritative and if in doubt qualified individuals/organisations should be consulted
