Going Green

We all know about the effects of global warming, but do you know how you can be part of the climate change solution? Below we have listed some of the things that every household could be doing to help reduce the effects of the earth’s rising temperature.

Here in the UK, climate change means hotter, drier, summers; milder, wetter winters, rising sea levels and a much greater risk of severe flooding. Making the smallest changes at home, you can help us all work towards a sustainable, clean and environmentally-friendly way of living. Introducing such energy-saving daily routines will save you money, reduce your carbon footprint and help to save the planet.
Solar Fusion has outlined a number of ways to become more energy efficient within your home below. In conjuction with a solar energy system, these tips will have a significant effect on reducing your energy bills and your carbon footprint:

•  Turning your thermostat down by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent and save you around £40 per year.

•  Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat shouldn’t need to be set higher than 60°C/140°F.

•  Close your curtains at dusk rather than dark to stop heat escaping through the windows.

•  Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.

•  Don’t leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.

•  If you’re not filling up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher, use the half-load or economy programme.

•  Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you’re using an electric kettle).

•  A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they’re fully turned off!

•  Replace your light bulbs with energy saving recommended ones: just one can reduce your lighting costs by up to £100 over the lifetime of the bulb – and they last up to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs.

•  Fill gaps under skirting boards and between floorboards with newspaper, papier mache or mastic sealant.

•  Fit a good insulating jacket to your hot water tank if it does not have sprayed foam on the outside

•  Put aluminium foil behind any radiators fitted to outside walls. Ordinary kitchen foil will do, or you can buy specially designed panels from DIY stores.

•  Replace your old boiler with a new energy efficient condensing boiler (ask for more details)

•  Fit thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) to stop you heating rooms you are not using

•  Install cavity wall installation

•  Top up loft installation

•  Buy energy saving appliances

•  Wash laundry at 30 degrees

•  Leave the car at home for short journeys

To find out more about global warming, you can visit the BBC’s Climate Change website. For more information about what you can do, try the Global Action Plan site. More useful links can be found here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/climate/
http://www.globalactionplan.org.uk