Turn Green, Save Money
A European commission report published this week showed the UK is slowly but surely turning green, being one of the top performers on energy efficiency in Europe. Our use of energy has fallen by 5% in the last 8 years, and ours was the only major European economy to see any kind of drop. Elsewhere, France’s energy use rose by 7% and Germany’s remained level. Over all 27 countries in the EU, there was an average rise in energy use of 4%.
So what can we do to continue this downward trend and hold the topspot on most eco-friendly country in the continent? If you haven’t turned completely green yet, here are a few ways to cut down on energy use in the household. If you stick to all of these, then as well as saving the world, you’ll also be saving a great deal of money…
Save in the kitchen
Meat-eating
Whether you’re a flat of London singles or a large family, cutting down on meat will save you money and have huge eco-benefits. As well as being particularly pricey, producing meat means carbon emissions and many other health and environmental costs for the planet. Try to cut out meat altogether, and if you do buy it, go for the lowest species on the food chain, especially with seafood.
Local shopping
When doing your weekly shop, try to avoid big chain supermarkets and instead develop a habit for buying locally. The environmental costs of locally grown food are so much lower that it will probably be cheaper, and buying from local farmers helps to keep money in the local economy.
Water-drinking
Buy a water filter rather than bottled water. This one small expense will save so much, as bottled water is surprisingly expensive when it’s the only water you drink. The filter will mean normal tap water tastes just as good and will be just as beneficial as the bottled variety – as well as being much more environmentally friendly.
Save in the bathroom
Shorter showers
Taking shorter showers and avoiding baths will mean a less costly water bill and many environmental benefits. Find other ways to cut down on water, too, such as dropping the habit of leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth.
Save in the laundry room
Washing
The majority of people don’t actually have a laundry room, but wherever you keep the facilities, everyone can save energy through their washing. Turning down the temperature on your washing machine will save a lot: 85% of the energy used by a washing machine is used to heat the water.
Drying
Get rid of your dryer. Drying clothes on a line or a clothes rack will save so much in energy costs.
Save in every room
Heating
As with the water temperature, try to turn down your heating as much as possible. If you can stand it, try turning it off over the warmer summer months. And if you get cold, put on another layer.
Cleaning
Rather than spending a fortune on cleaning products, there are actually ways to make your own out of simple household ingredients such as baking soda and vinegar. This will save you a surprising amount.
Lighting
As with water, try to monitor your use of lights and turn them off whenever they’re not needed. Also, invest in special energy-saving light bulbs to minimise cost and waste.
Whether you live with your partner after meeting through dating sites or with your parents after finishing university, make sure your household is a green household. This way, you’ll help continue the UK’s energy-efficient streak and ultimately save a large amount of money on household costs.
No related posts.
Tags: 8 years, bottled water, carbon emissions, chain supermarkets, countries in the eu, downward trend, energy efficiency, energy use, environmental costs, european commission, european commission report, european economy, food chain, london singles, showers, tap water, top performers, topspot, water bill, water filterComments Off
Leave a Comment
If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
