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Going green doesn't need to cost a fortune either. A few well thought out changes can reap instant rewards. Here are our top tips for converting to a greener, cleaner lifestyle.
1. Improve your loft insulation
You can insulate your loft and save up to 25% of the heat you lose through your roof. This creates a warmer home and makes considerable savings on your heating bill.
Most DIY stores sell loft insulation and installing it is something that you can install yourself over a weekend.
Even better news is that there are also energy saving grants available to help cover some of the costs of insulating your home.
2. Install energy efficient light bulbs
The quality of energy efficient light bulbs nowadays is very good. The range and availability of energy efficient light bulbs is also better than it has ever been.
DIY, hardware stores and superstores all stock them, so there's no excuse for not converting to these bulbs. Especially as they last longer than normal bulbs and use around five times less electricity.
They may be a bit more expensive than normal bulbs but you get back what you paid within a year on electricity savings.
3. Turn off your appliances
Not only does leaving your appliances on standby drain electricity resources, it also drains your cash.
Leaving a computer on standby overnight costs you around 50 per year. Other devices such as your TV and DVD player cost 35 upwards per year if you leave them permanently on standby.
So, before you go to bed remember to close down your PC and get into the habit of turning those other appliances off.
Devices with digital clocks or displays may need to be turned off at the plug in order to see these energy savings.
4. Turn down your heating thermostat
Turning down your heating thermostat by just 1 degree can cut your heating bill by up to 10%.
Ideally, homes and offices should have their heating set between 18 and 21 degrees. Having it set higher than this could indicate the need for improved insulation to stop heat escaping.
5. Switch to green energy
Many of the big energy suppliers are now offering their customers the option to switch to a green energy tariff. Where energy you use is matched with energy from renewable sources like wind farms and hydro-electric plants.
It's worth contacting your supplier to find out how to switch and reduce your carbon footprint.
6. Generate your own electricity
The ultimate in going green is to generate your own energy. No matter where you live, the opportunities are there to generate power from the sun or perhaps from the power of the wind. Solar power and wind turbines are a bigger step than changing your lightbulbs, but the rewards can be far bigger too. You might soon be selling green energy back to the national grid.
Freesource are professional suppliers of solar water heating and domestic and light industrial renewable energy solutions in the UK.
