This article is a basic rundown of some of the things that you can do to help save energy, reduce carbon dioxide emission, prevent climate change, and save considerable money on a day-to-day basis. These are simple things that you can start doing straight away! The time to start is now!

Electrical Appliances

Each time you finish using an electrical appliance, make sure you turn it off! The majority of people leave their TV’s, Computers, Games Consoles, Sky Box, and numerous other energy-burning appliances on Standby when then go the sleep! Standby isn’t turning it off; instead it’s sort of like a sleep mode! This still burns a considerable amount of electricity each night and will cost you around £37 every year for simply being lazy. Make sure that you turn everything off by its power button or at the plug each night or after every use! 

Lights and Light Bulbs

Just like electrical appliances, make sure that you switch off all lights when you leave a room and before you go to sleep! Lights burn a lot of unnecessary electricity, even dimmed lights, so remember to check all lights before leaving the house or turning in for the night. Also try buying Energy Efficient light bulbs for around your home. They may be slightly more expensive than regular light bulbs, but in the long run, they last around 12 times longer and will save you around £100 per bulb before having to replace it due to its longevity and energy use!

Thermostat

In every home your Thermostat is more than likely set too high, wasting a great deal of unnecessary heating and energy! Reducing it by just 1°C could save you a total of £40 (or around 10% of the average heating bill) every year and you almost certainly won’t notice this tiny change in temperature.

Cylinder Thermostat

In every home your Cylinder Thermostat should be set no higher than 60°C/140°F. Any more and your water will be much hotter than needed, wasting massive amounts of unnecessary fuel! Reducing the temperature to 60°C/140°F will save you a considerable amount of money and yet the difference will be unnoticeable.

Central Heating Controls & Electronic Timers

Having the right controls and electronic timers for your central heating is a great way to save energy and money in heating bills and can reduce the energy consumption of your current boiler by up to 40%, as it prevents you from wasting unnecessary heat and energy throughout the day! Heating will only come on when you’ve used the controls or set the timer, instead of having unnecessary heating pumping out all through the day; therefore your energy and heating can be seriously reduced from just a flick of a button!

Kettle

When you’re making a cup of tea or coffee, don’t fill the kettle to the brim or over the amount of cups that you want to make. Instead, make sure that you fill the kettle up as near to the overall amount as possible to prevent from wasting electricity when boiling unnecessary amounts of water! The more water you fill your kettle up with, the longer it will take to boil and the more energy you will use! If you want to make two cups, then fill the kettle up with no more water than two cups worth!

Washing Machine/Tumble Dryer/Dishwasher

• When you’re planning on doing a wash, make sure that it’s a full wash and your Washing Machine is completely filled to the brim with clothes; this will save you doing two or three washes a week when it can all be done at once! If a certain item of clothing needs to be washed and you haven’t got enough clothes for a full wash, then use the Half Load or Economy Programme to save water, energy and money, and wash them at 30 degrees!

• To prevent carbon dioxide emission from Tumble Dryers, simply don’t use them! Dry your clothes outside on a washing line or on a portable clothes line/rack indoors. They dry just as well and also, won’t shrink as easily! Refrain from using tumble dryers as best you can; there’s no need!

• Again, if you’re planning on using the Dishwasher, then make sure that it’s a full wash, and if not then make sure you use the Half Load or Economy Programme to save water, energy and money!

Boiling Water in Pots and Pans

If you’re planning on boiling water in pots or pans, then make sure that you cover them with a lid, as this will cause the water to boil much faster than without a cover! The quicker the water takes to boil, the less gas or electric you will use! This will save you time and energy!

Fridge/Freezer

To save on energy make sure that your Fridge temperature is set no higher than 4°C/39°F and your Freezer is set no higher than -18°C/0°F, and remember to maintain and defrost your Freezer on a regular basis!

Taps and Showers

After using hot water taps or showers, remember to turn them off completely afterwards! Double check them and make absolute certain that they’re not still dripping with hot water or that the tap itself or showerhead isn’t broken, as this will cost you a significant amount of money letting hot water continuously drip! A continuously dripping hot water tap or shower will waste unnecessary energy and throw away about half a bath full of hot water every week!

If you have a broken hot water tap or shower, then get it repaired immediately!

Rechargeable Batteries

It would be extremely worthwhile to purchase a few Rechargeable Batteries for everyday use, i.e. remotes, for example, as these can be recharged at any time and reused! They are slightly more expensive than regular batteries, however they last pretty much forever and will save you a considerable amount of money, as you’ll never have to buy new ones; simply recharge and use again!