Energy Saving Tips
(Note: all figures shown are annual)
TV: Leaving the telly on standby adds hugely to your electric bill and causes 20kg of carbon pollution.
Stereo: You won’t like the sound of music when you hear a stereo on standby costs £12 and creates 66kg of pollution.
DVD: Save £8 and 44kg of pollution by switching off your DVD player when not in use.
Computer: Every little bit helps so turn off your computer and save £1.70 and 9kg of pollution.
Lights: Now we’re talking serious money. Lights left on in empty rooms add £55 to the average electricity bill and cause 370kg of pollution.
Mobile Phone Charger: They look so small and insignificant, but leaving one plugged in without a phone attached cost £1.90 and 10.5kg of pollution.
Bulbs: Ditch your home lightbulbs and replace replace them with energysavers. On average you’ll save £100 and 60kg of pollution.
Hot Water Thermostat: Some are set to a ridiculous 70°C. Turn yours down to 60°C and you will save £100 and, for a gas boiler, 100kg of pollution.
Central Heating: The average home is heated 5°C higher than experts say is reasonable. One reason is that people like to loll about the house in their work shirts, after they get home. Instead, put on a jumper and down the heating by 5°C. You will save £150 and 1,250kg of pollution.
Bath: Every time you take a bath, you use around 80 litres of water. Take a shower instead. It uses an average 25 litres of water. Showering helps preserve water resources and could save you £50.
Toilet: Flushing the loo uses 15 to 20 litres of water. No one expects you to stop completely but you can easily cut the water you use by putting a brick in the cistern. This simple step reduces you annual water use by more than 3,000 litres.
New for Old: It’s not realistic to replace all your appliances in one. But the next time you get fed up with a clapped out toaster or kettle, replace it with and A** rated appliance – just look for the A** label in shops. Savings vary but you can expect an A** appliance to cost around £45 a year less to run and reduce pollution by 200kg.
Washing Machine: Leave it off until you have a full load and then wash on a 40°C cycle. That’s plenty hot enough with today’s powders. You will save £10 and 50kg of pollution.
Teeth: Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth. Leaving it on uses an extra 11,000 litres of water.
Holidays: Planes are one of the biggest polluters, not least because the pollution they cause goes straight into the upper atmosphere. Think about taking more holidays at home. And when you go abroad, check out the train option. It probably won’t save you money but going by rail to Barcelona instead of flying, for example cuts pollution by 95 per cent or 1,109kg.
Kettle: Only heat the amount of water that you need. Boiling one cup of water instead of a full kettle fives time a day saves £30 and 50kg of pollution per year.
