If you’re looking for a cost-effective way to transform your home into a more eco-friendly living area, consider applying for a green mortgage. A green mortgage, which is also called an Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM), is a type of loan that provides you with a larger amount of money than you may normally receive with a standard mortgage. There are numerous benefits of obtaining an EEM, and virtually anyone can apply for this loan.

What is an energy efficient mortgage?

An EEM is essentially a monetary reward for consumers who make energy saving improvements on their homes. Those who purchase homes that meet certain energy efficiency standards can also obtain an EEM. This type of loan is backed by various government mortgage programs as well as private companies. A green mortgage is not an additional mortgage. It’s rolled into a primary mortgage, which means you only need to make one monthly payment.

What are the benefits of a green mortgage?

An EEM provides you with the funds to convert your home into an environmentally friendly place, which means you lower your family’s carbon footprint. An energy efficient home costs less to maintain, so you will have more money to spend on a monthly mortgage. This means you may qualify for a larger loan amount. Using the funds from an EEM lets you create a more comfortable, affordable and long-lasting living space.

Individuals who would benefit most from this type of loan are:

• new homeowners who cannot afford to make eco-friendly renovations
• buyers looking at houses that already have upgrades
• homeowners who are losing money each month due to costly utilities
• people refinancing in order to make upgrades
• homeowners with outdated utility, heating or cooling systems

What does an EEM cover?

There are numerous upgrades that a green mortgage will cover. If your home needs better insulation, a more efficient heating or cooling system, modernized duct work or a new chimney, this loan will provide you with the money you need to make the changes. You can also use the funds for installing various solar technologies, weatherproofing, switching to double-pane windows or installing a tankless water heater.

What is the application process?

Whether you are applying for a new mortgage or refinancing a current one, the process for obtaining a green mortgage is the same. Essentially, if you qualify for a traditional mortgage, you will qualify for an EEM as well. You can apply for an Energy Efficient Mortgage at a bank, mortgage company or other lending institution that provides home loans. To be eligible for a green mortgage, the proposed upgrades to the home must be cost-effective. A Home Energy Rating System report will determine this.

A HERS inspection details which improvements are needed and estimates the potential future savings. Once the inspection is over, you can qualify for the amount of money you will need to make any changes. After the loan closes, that money goes into an escrow account until the renovations are made on the home. You may hire a professional to perform the upgrades, or you may do them yourself. The loan funds are then paid to you after an inspection on your home reveals that the upgrades have been completed.

What are the different types of green mortgages?

There are 3 main types of Energy Efficient Mortgages, and each one provides a different amount of funding. A conventional EEM, which is typically sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, lets you borrow no more than 15% of the appraised value of the home after upgrades. An FHA EEM allows you to borrow up to 5% of the home’s value. Finally, a VA EEM is available to military personnel and provides $3,000 to $6,000 for energy improvements, regardless of the home’s value.

The disadvantage of choosing an EEM is that the savings on upgrades must be more than the amount borrowed. This means you may need to avoid the more costly renovations. In some older houses, the costs for improving energy efficiency may be too high. However, in most cases, obtaining an Energy Efficient Mortgage allows home buyers and current owners to take control of their budgets while creating environmentally sound living spaces.

The world of taxis could be changing for the better in a big way very soon. While professional drivers are already saving money through LPG gas, low deals from Staveley Head taxi insurance and better driving techniques to lower fuel consumptions, an entirely new generation of taxis is emerging that could seriously work in the environment’s favour, making cities and towns cleaner in the process.

It all looks set to take off at the Olympic Games in 2012. With 18 months to go before the start of the greatest show on earth, Intelligent Energy announced that it was running a taxi cab that uses hydrogen fuel cell technology that may be released in time for the Olympics, and it didn’t lose any of the popular characteristics of the standard London black cab – in fact, it retains the shape completely, as the technology is simply fitted under the bonnet.

The firm estimated that the fuel cell taxi would have a modest top speed of 81 mph, take 14 seconds to hit 60 mph and would have a range of over 250 miles on a full tank of hydrogen – an excellent array of features.

The new taxi does not produce any emission and also has the added bonus of taking mere minutes to fill once more – a massive amount of time saved when compared to the hours needed to charge an electric car.

Commenting on the developments, Intelligent Energy’s Henri Winand told the Guardian that the infrastructure required to run a hydrogen-based transport system is marginal, and could be established quickly and effectively. “With fleets you can deploy a little infrastructure, which you can build up with the more fleets you have, rather than going straight to consumers who might be wondering where the next filling station is,” he said.

The benefits are clearer to all. Taxis will be able to run at a much cheaper cost, meaning that customers can continue to afford journeys after years of having prices dictated by increasing fuel levies and inflation.

Larger profits will be reaped by companies embracing the new technology in a much shorter term than they may believe – the initial investment in such vehicles would be compensated by low fuel costs, less down time at filling stations and better rates of taxi insurance. CO2-related charges, which are increasingly being rolled out across the UK and Europe, would also not apply.

All-in-all, 2012 stands to be a great year for carbon-neutral technology – so long as people understand the benefits of it, it’s almost certainly going to prove popular.

Any forward-thinking business wants to be at the forefront of printing developments, especially if they encompass “green measures”. Given the increased environmental awareness of both customers and businesses, more and more companies are choosing to incorporate eco-printing to their everyday operations to protect the environment and add an ethical string to their reputational bow.

If you think of the amount of wastage your business creates on a day-to-day basis, the benefits of eco-printing become abundantly clear. Despite what some common misconceptions would suggest, switching to eco-printing doesn’t have to restrict your marketing and design options.

If you want attractive, green promotional tools – such as business cards, leaflets and posters, and stationery items, you can. There is now a wide range of impressive designs out there that prove that you can combine both looks and innovative thinking, such as those available from Flyerzone.

Incorporating eco-printing could produce a multitude of positive results for your business including boosting your reputation, increasing your sales, increasing your access to capital and motivating your employees. An obvious attraction of using such a service for businesses, however, is the money-saving potential.

Due to the money they save on wastage during the production process, eco-printing companies are typically in the position to offer you competitive prices, allowing you to make savings on your operational costs.

Eco-printing was once an exclusive service that could be expensive to use; however, supply is finally catching up with demand and, due to competitive prices, it is now more accessible to both large and small businesses. Buying your promotional products from an eco-design printing business can potentially save you and your business a great deal of money, which can then be reinvested in your business.

So what are you waiting for? Switch today and get both your business and the environment in a better position for the future.

We are all looking for ways to better our environment and our financial situations, and many to turn their homes for solutions. Our homes can run up high energy costs which increase our carbon footprint while decreasing our monthly checking accounts. To reduce energy consumption, many household are choosing solar or geothermal technologies while others are making simple updates such as new windows or proper insulation.

While all these green improvements can greatly reduce your energy consumption, they also come at a high initial price which not all households can afford. Paying $30,000 for a solar panel system isn’t easy to do, even with additional government grants, and finding a company to install a geothermal system is difficult as many are still in there developmental phases.

There are other more inexpensive ways to reduce your home’s energy consumption, such as weather stripping and switching light bulbs, however, helping your environment can be as easy as switching your electricity provider.

Certain energy providers, such as Energy Plus Company , invest in more green technologies like solar and wind to help provide more consumers with cleaner energy sources.

Companies like these believe in the value of renewable energy sources, and use their clients’ dollars to help fund promising future green technologies as part of every utility bill goes towards funding these energies.

In addition to promoting more sustainable energies, Energy Plus Company rewards customers for doing something they already do monthly: paying their bills. Every time a client pays their monthly bill on time, they are able to receive rewards such as cash back, airline points, or educational rewards.

So not only are you going more green, but you are saving some too.

As everyone strives to become more sustainable in their actions and thinking, companies will continue to offer stronger incentives for consumers to invest in their green technologies. Electric and Hybrid cars are already seeing a hike in ownership, and thousands of urban dwellers are starting to enjoy urban or community gardening.

Going green doesn’t have to cost you thousands of dollars in up front costs. Performing tasks such as switching a light bulb or your electricity provider can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint and your monthly spending all with very little effort.

Saving energy is top of the agenda for more people than ever before – perhaps not enough people to save the planet from global warming, but at least the ball is rolling. The issue of energy usage is of paramount importance in this day and age, as we have seen in numerous media campaigns over the last few years.

Saving the planet starts at home. There are hundreds of dollars to be saved in every room in the house – and it is far easier than you might think. If you can so much as do one energy-saving activity per person,per room, per day, then you will not only be well on the way to saving yourself a bit of cash, but also to preserving the one and only planet we have to live on.

Here is a list of things you can do in each main room to save your money and our planet:

The Living Room

Unplug your TV set when you’re not using it. It might seem obvious, but it makes a big difference. TVs on standby consume approximately 80% of the power they do when they’re on, so you might as well be burning your money on an open fire. If you get everybody in your family to make sure they unplug it when they’re done using it, you’ll start to see the difference on your bills.

The Kitchen

Replace your old appliances. New appliances will have a much lower level of energy output than the ones you’ve had for 10 years. It might not seem that long since you got a new one, but technology is improving all the time. When you buy new appliances, make sure that you update your home contents insurance appropriately.

Realistically, renewing your appliances is only necessary once every few years so, to adhere to the one-thing-per-person-per-day rule, perhaps you could preheat your oven for half of the time when you cook dinner. Those 10,energy-less minutes could save you a fortune in the long run.

The Bedroom

Read by candlelight. Exchanging lamplight for candlelight is a wonderfully eco-friendly and green thing to do.If you currently read for an hour a night, you could save over 15 days’ worth of electric lighting over the course of the year. Depending on what kind of novel you are reading, it might even make you enjoy the whole experience even more!

The Bathroom

Turn off the tap when you’re brushing your teeth. The amount of water that is wasted during this (hopefully) frequent activity is ludicrous. Just imagine how many gallons you could save in your household over a year of teeth-brushing without the tap running. It’s literally like filling a glass up with water and leaving the tap on while you drink it, just so that you can wash it when you’re finished.

Changing the world is easy – and you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home to do it.

In today’s climate it is all about how to economise and reduce each individual’s carbon footprint, enabling the protection of the planet for the nation’s offspring. One area that is particularly targeted is the energy that is used to power the car engine.

There have been for many years images of what the cars of the future may look like. Indeed changes have been quite dramatic since the first car was produced, not only in shape but also in power.

There have been over the years various proposals as to how best to power the engine that drives the car. Hybrid engines, electric cars and hydrogen cars have all been proposed or developed over the years. The electric engine has progressed in order that the battery can be removed and recharged away from the car.

The hybrid engine uses compressed air, which it is claimed will reduce the energy used by the car by approximately 30%. Which may beg the question, ‘does this all affect the insurance policy on the vehicle?’ Insurance companies tend to be ahead of the game, there are even now companies that provide temporary car insurance, which can be useful for those ‘one-off’ trips that require cover.

It is not only fuel that has been considered by car manufacturers in the pursuit of low energy vehicles. Performance of the car is essential and should not be compromised. One car manufacturer has engineered a vehicle that has taken this idea into production and uses computational fluid dynamics in the design of the vehicle to produce an ultra low drag using considerably less energy when driving at speed.

Another car manufacturer uses the gasses that are emitted from the exhaust system of the internal combustion engine to power a steam engine, which contributes to the power of the vehicle, resulting in energy savings of an estimated 15%.

So with all these developments on the energy savings of the future, is the car insurance industry keeping up? The truth of the matter is that the car insurance industry has developed massively over the last 20 years or so, typically online. Offering a great deal of variations that were before unheard of, temporary car insurance, classic car insurance, multiple car insurance policies, but to name a few. One company in particular even started its life online and now is a global affair.

So, it is fair to say, that the insurance companies of today will still be offering relevant car insurance deals tomorrow, including temporary car insurance and some other new innovate deals.

UK holidaymakers are being advised to take note of a series of handy hints issued by moneysupermarket.com, the leading price comparison website, if the recent eruption of Grimsvotn or any future volcanic activity threatens to hamper any upcoming travel plans.

Iceland’s most active volcano started erupting towards the end of May, immediately igniting concerns of a repeat of the scenes of 12 months ago when ash clouds from Eyjafjallajokull caused travel misery for millions.

Eyjafjallajokull made global news in April 2010 and led to the largest closure of airspace in Europe since World War II as nearly 10,000 flights were cancelled. The fall-out rumbled on for weeks and the financial cost was estimated to have been well in excess of £1billion.

Panic set in across airports throughout Europe as passengers struggled to come to terms with the news that they were stranded, while those without the best travel insurance faced the prospect of having to pay for extra accommodation and flights. 

Turn the clock forward just over a year and another Icelandic volcano, this time Grimsvotn, has erupted.The natural disaster has fuelled fears of another shutdown of European airspace, although fortunately for now, the impact has been felt on a much smaller scale.

With the summer months upon us and thousands of people preparing to jet off to foreign countries, Bob Atkinson, a travel insurance expert at moneysupermarket, has revealed a few timely tips for anyone with concerns about the threat that the volcano poses towards their holiday.

Atkinson commented: “As news of the Icelandic volcano eruption hits, with it brings the same travel uncertainty as we experienced in April 2010. For those who have booked a trip to Iceland, check with your tour operator or airline for the latest travel information.

“If you are travelling as part of an ATOL covered package, your tour operator will be able to advise on your total travel plans. It is the responsibility of the tour operator to cover all costs should air space be disrupted.  Those travellers still in the UK are entitled to refunds or transfers, and for those stranded overseas will be kept in accommodation at the expense of the tour operator.

“If you have independent arrangements then you need to speak to your airline as well as hotel companies and any others you have bookings with to check your options for cancellation, refunds and changes. Check your travel insurance policy, look for natural disaster and weather related clauses and understand what is covered in the policy. This will cover for things such as loss of travel arrangements, cost of new travel arrangements and travel delay.

“Should airspace actually close, travellers are urged not to do anything without speaking to their airline or tour operator first, checking their website for further information.”

Image Credit: NASA Goddard Photo and Video

Setting off on an exciting backpacking trip for several months can be a great way to experience other cultures and ways of life in some exotic destinations. However, an increasing number of travellers are concerned about the impact budget travelling can have on the environment so we’ve taken a look at some great ways to lighten your conscience and minimise your carbon footprint whilst on the road.

Whether you’re planning a multi-stop backpacking jaunt around the world or a short city break to a European capital, one of biggest factors affecting your carbon footprint is the mode of transport you choose!

For certain long-haul destinations, such as New Zealand and Australia, you will have little choice but to fly but air transport can make a significant contribution to your carbon footprint, especially if you’re travelling on round the world tickets. As airlines and passengers have become increasingly aware of carbon emissions, you will now find many carriers offer the option to ‘offset’ the emissions your travels create by making a donation to support environmental initiatives. Pioneering websites such as carbonfootprint.com offer innovative ways to offset those nasty emissions.

Such a contribution could mean you help fund the planting of trees or production of solar panels, allowing you to do your bit for the planet. However, if you’re looking to travel to destinations that are a little closer to home, continental Europe for instance, consider alternative methods of travel than flying.

It is possible to reach mainland Europe by ferry and train, with both options proving to be less environmentally damaging than air travel. Perhaps you’re looking to take in countries such as Portugal, Spain and France during a backpacking trip and if you’re keen to do with environmental issues in mind, you may want to purchase an international rail pass. Check out seat61.com for the best passes available.

Doing so can take care of all your transport needs from country-to-country in one go and as you arrive at the train station of your next destination, you should be in a central position where you do not have to travel far to find your hotel or see the main tourist sights. No expensive shuttles from the airport with train travel.

Using public transport will also result in fewer emissions, but you’ll find interacting with the locals is far easier and far more frequent when choosing the likes of trains, trams and buses! Hiring a bike or walking when you’ve arrived in your destination can also provide you with a green form of transport to see the sights, while also getting some exercise at the same time.

But there are other areas to bear in mind when it comes to being eco-friendly while backpacking. The chances are you’ll have packed a number of battery-run gadgets in your luggage, such as a digital camera, mobile phone and iPod. As these will need powering up on a regular basis, why not purchase a charger that runs on solar energy as opposed to being plugged into the mains?

This helps to reduce the amount of electricity you use and can be a handy way to charge your gadgets on the go, for example if you’re on a train where there are no spare plug sockets close at hand.

Similarly, torches and radios that are powered by winding them up are an ideal green option. As they do not require batteries, you don’t have to be worried that using these gadgets will increase your carbon footprint.

To keep emissions low while travelling give some thought to the food you eat and any souvenirs you buy. Eat regionally sourced seasonal produce and purchase goods from local businesses wherever possible. This will have a double benefit of reducing ‘food miles’ whilst you contribute to the local economy and get to enjoy the tastes of locally produced dishes.

With a little forward planning and a spot of big picture thinking, it is possible to go on a great backpacking trip without harming mother earth too much in the process.

Learning to drive and maintain your car in a more economical way will have positive effects not only on the environment but also on your wallet. There are a few easy tips and rules which you can follow which will cut your fuel consumption and therefore your impact on the environment.

Before you drive

Driving economically begins before your key even enters the ignition, by making sure you vehicle is optimized to consume as little fuel as possible. Firstly you should make sure to remove any heavy objects from your car that are not going to be needed on your journey.

For example if you are a golfer and leave your golf clubs in your boot even when you are not planning on playing, you are adding unnecessary extra weight to your vehicle that will mean you have to use more fuel. This also applies to roof racks, bike racks or car seats that you are not needed.

Secondly is it vital to ensure that your tyre pressures are at the correct level, a check that you should be making at least once a fortnight. By ensuring that your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure you will not only be improving your cars braking, acceleration and steering but also increasing the fuel economy of your vehicle – which over the course of the year will keep your saving accounts balance looking a bit more cheerful.

Keep in mind that these measures will provide slight adjustments to your vehicle’s emissions and fuel efficiency. Starting off with a fuel efficient vehicle will greatly improve the impact of your eco-friendly efforts, so consider a hybrid or another low emission vehicle when applying for a new or used auto loan.

One final point – before you open your car door – ask yourself this one important question: “does this journey really need to be driven”. If you are planning a local journey consider walking or cycling instead, as it is these unnecessary short journeys that will account for your high consumption of fuel.

Whilst you drive

One of the most important things to remember when trying to drive economically is to try to stay as ‘smooth’ as possible. Avoid accelerating too quickly or stopping too suddenly, as this sort of driving means that your car will have to consume more fuel to get back up to speed again. So don’t forget to pull away gently and break more gradually to help save yourself money on petrol and save the environment at the same time.

Also make sure to avoid ‘idling’ such as running the car but staying still, or even waiting to go through a drive-thru restaurant, as this automotive dawdling actually wastes up to 10 times more fuel than simply turning off your car and restarting it again.

One of the most serious and growing environmental concerns is that of the mounting problem of industrial waste; it is a problem that has grown with the rise in personal electronics, most obviously, mobile phones. This is why it is important to recycle mobile phones.

Most people have never recycled a mobile phone which has reached the end of its lifespan. Despite the fact that this service is completely free (in some cases, recyclers will even pay for mobiles), it seems many people still opt for the quick solution of simply throwing their old mobile phones in the bin.

Data from the Environmental Protection Agency show that, in 2005 alone, discarded electronic products, including mobile phones, amounted to from 1.9 to 2.2 million tonnes.

Of that, a staggering 80-90% ended up as waste in landfills, with only a few thousand tonnes of discarded electronic products ever being recycled.

It is important, however, that mobile phones and other electronic products are recycled at the end of their lifespans; due to the low costs of electronic products, which have dropped sharply in recent years, mobile phone technology has become available to everyone.

Indeed, 85% of adults in the UK are mobile phone users, while 4 out of 5 children own a mobile phone before the time they are 11 years of age.

Due to some people owning multiple mobile phones, there actually more mobile phones in use in the UK than there are people. Obviously, this has had a great impact on the volume of electronic waste being produced.

This is exacerbated by the rapid nature of technological development, which, coupled with planned obsolescence, leads to mobile phones often being replaced within a year or less of first being purchased. The effect of this is that electronic waste is increasingly an environmental problem.

There exist, however, a number of websites on which it is possible to recycle mobile phones.