by J Mock

Created on: June 07, 2008   Last Updated: June 22, 2008

With the ever increasing cost of household fuels, combined with the increased awareness towards our actions upon the environment, it is viewed as both responsible and necessary to implement simple strategic actions that will offer both financial and eco-friendly rewards in conserving energy within your home.

Simply follow the check-list and see how many easy ways there are to conserve energy and save you money.

Heating:
1. Turn your thermostat down by one degree. This will save up to 10% on your energy bill and reduce your fuel use, and you probably wll not even notice the difference in temperature.

2. If you are feeling chilly, simply add an extra layer of clothing before reaching for that thermostat.

3. Close your curtains. At dusk, draw your curtains to prevent heat from escaping through the windows.

Lighting:
We all have the habit of leaving both lights on and appliances on standby when we are not in a room. An unnecessary waste of energy and money.

1. Replace your existing light bulbs with modern energy saving varieties. They can reduce your electricity bill and last up to ten times longer than the more traditional ordinary bulbs. Essentially, they require 80% less energy for the same amount of light produced.

2. Switch off any unnecessary lights and either turn off, or unplug appliances at the mains when not in use.

3. Each night, perform a quick check on unused appliances like the television, dvd player and computer and turn off at the mains.

Water:
Be aware of your water consumption. Thousands of litres are wasted each year that could be easily prevented.

1. Wash your clothes at 30 degrees instead of 40 degrees, and with a cold fill instead of hot. Just as effective at cleaning clothes with modern detergents. Turn down the temperature dial to 30 degrees and turn off, or disconnect, the hot water infill pipe.

2. Always wait until the load is full before operating the machine. Why waste excess energy on half-loads? The same principle applies to dishwashers and tumble-dryers.

3. Washing. Take a shower instead of a bath. A shower can use up to two-thirds less water that the average bath.

4. Fix any dripping taps. You may not be aware, but replacing a leaky tap washer can save over 4000 litres of water.

5. Wash your fresh fruit and vegetables in a bowl, rather than underneath a running tap.

6. Do not leave the tap running when you brush your teeth.

7. If your water is too hot, check your tank thermostat. You should not really need it above 60 degrees Celsius.

8. When re-filling the kettle, only boil as much as you need. Why waste energy boiling a full kettle when making only two cups.

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