There are a number of things you can do to improve the energy efficiency of your house and decrease its impact on the environment, without actually having to move to a tree-house in a hippy commune. Most are very simple, don't require much outlay, and save you money while helping the planet. Some of them you will have heard of before, but it's always useful to look out for new tips if you're trying to make your house green.

Cutting Your Energy Use

High Outlay:
Replace your white goods with more modern, energy-efficient ones.
Get loft insulation and cavity wall insulation laid if this applies to your house.
Install solar panels on your roof to heat your hot water.

There are often government grants available for these sorts of improvements (in Britain). Talk to the Citizens Advice Bureau or your local council for more information.

Low Outlay:
Replace your normal light bulbs with energy saving ones. These have improved greatly in recent years and are now virtually indistinguishable from normal bulbs, even though they use a fraction of the energy. If cost is a big concern, the older generation of energy saving bulbs can often be found at knock-down prices I've even seen three for a pound.

No Outlay:
Putting the heating thermostat down by one degree will save a lot of energy over the course of a winter, and you probably won't notice it at all.
If you're a little too cold when wearing short sleeves, put on a jumper rather than turning on the heating.
Wash lightly soiled clothes at 30 degrees instead of 40, and consider whether clothes really need washed, or could be worn again.
Turn the shower temperature down a little bit.
Turn off lights when you leave a room, don't leave the television, computer etc. on standby, and unplug appliances when you're not using them for a while.

Increasing Your Water Efficiency

High Outlay:
If you're a keen gardener, or wash your car at home, install a water butt to collect rainwater to use for these tasks.
Change your toilet cistern to one which has the option of a short or long flush and use the short flush whenever possible.

Low Outlay:
Put a brick or a (filled) water bottle in the cistern of your toilet to reduce the amount of water used.

No Outlay:
Turn off the tap when you're brushing your teeth (you can turn it back on again when you rinse).
Use a sinkful of water for shaving rather than having the water running all the time.
Don't run a full basin of water

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