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.
