What shade of Green is your Home?

There are definitely shades of green (environmentally speaking!)  in everyone’s house but where do you sit on this scale.  Read through our top tips to help reduce the carbon footprint of your home and you may be able to help the environment as well as your pocket.

1. When replacing light bulbs go for the low energy variety.  The use up a fraction of the energy of traditional types.
2. Place a water saving bag in the cistern of your toilet, this could save up to a litre for every time your toilet is flushed.  Some local water authorities provide these for free and they are very easy to fit.
3. Solar panels may be an expensive initial investment but they will eventually pay for themselves in reduced energy bills.  With escalating costs of energy the return may well be quicker than you expected.
4. When replacing electrical appliances look for their energy efficiency grading.  Look online for how they compare with each other.
5. Reduce your hot water temperature, the ideal temperature should be 60c/140F
6. When boiling the kettle for one cup of tea, only fill it up with that one cup.  If you need a new kettle look for the energy saving ones that mark the number of cups on the side.
7. Rainwater can be recycled for watering your garden as well as flushing toilets.  You could go the whole hog and invest in a rainwater harvesting systems or start simply by purchasing a water butt for outside which will provide water for any garden use.
8. Moving house? Check the energy efficiency of potential purchase.  Make a budget within the purchase price to upgrade certain aspects that will pay for themselves in the long run and make your house energy efficient.  Better still find a specially built eco home with many of these factors incorporated in it.  You may find you even save so much money on bills that the energy company will end up paying you!