INSULATING YOUR LOFT
Insulating your loft could save you up to ?45 per year and cavity wall insulation could save a further ?10 or more.
Water does not need to be heated to a scalding temperature; for most people,
setting the cylinder thermostat at around 60 degrees should be adequate for bathing and washing.
In Winter close your curtains at night to stop heat escaping.
Fit aluminium foil or reflective panels behind radiators.
This reflects heat back into the room rather than the walls absorbing and losing the heat.
Stop draughts by attaching an easy-to-fix brush or PVC seal to your exterior doors.
Fill gaps between floorboards & skirting boards with beading, sealant or newspaper.
Too warm? Why not turn the room thermostat down by 1 degree and it could cut your heating bills by up to 10%.
The sun is the most readily available source of heat there is - and the cheapest!
So make the most of it by opening internal doors of any rooms which get more sun
than others and let the warm air travel through your home.
Hot water pipes can be insulated to stop heat escaping from them to good effect.
The best pipes to insulate are the ones between the boiler and hot water cylinder.
Cost is around ? per metre. Saving is around ?0 per year.
Setting your heating to turn off one hour before you leave the house and just half an hour before your return will mean
that the heat is not wasted on an empty house.
If you have an old central heating system, consider having the radiators flushed to increase efficiency and reduce bills.
WATER SAVING TIPS
Turn off the tap while cleaning your teeth and you can save thousands of litres of water every year.
Put a hippo in your toilet cistern. Hippo the Water Saver is the simple, proven and low cost water saving device
to help conserve water in toilet cisterns. Every time a toilet is flushed the Hippo saves
approximately 3 litres of water.
Dripping taps can waste up to 4 litres of water a day so make sure you replace worn tap washers.
Vegetables and fruit should be washed in a bowl not under a running tap.
The leftover water can then be used for watering plants.
Monday, 10 January 2011
POWER SAVING TIPS
ENERGY SAVING TIPS AND IDEAS
Use energy saving light bulbs。
These may cost more, but they use far less electricity than normal bulbs, saving you money in the long run.
Only boil the amount of water you really need in your kettle, and, if you're using an electric kettle, make sure you cover the elements.
Jug-type kettles need less water as they have smaller elements.
Use the kettle to boil water for cooking, instead of heating a pan on the stove.
Not only will this be more efficient, but it generally takes less time too.
Switch all electrical appliances off at the plug instead of using the 'standby' function. During standby the appliances
are still using electricity, and astonishingly, this accounts for 6% of all electricity usage in the home.
Defrost your fridge and freezer regularly to keep them running efficiently and cheaply -
if they frost up quickly, check the door seal. If your fridge is next to a cooker or boiler,
leave a good gap between them.
Consider buying a Savaplug. These replace the usual plug at the back of the fridge and will cut energy
use from the appliance by 20%.
When using washing machines and tumble dryers always wash a full load or use a half-load or economy programme.
Always use the low temperature programme - modern washing powders are effective at lower temperatures.
And don't put really wet clothes into a tumble dryer: wring them out or spin-dry them first.
Try not to use a tumble dryer unless absolutely necessary.
On dry days use an outdoor clothes line for fresh-smelling laundry and on damp or very cold days dry your clothes inside.
Airing cupboards are great for things you need quickly or use old fashioned clothes horses or overhead dryers.
If you have a computer which is busy downloading or burning a CD,
switch the computer monitor off and remember not to leave it on standby when turning the computer off.
Turn your microwave off at the wall when not in use. Powering the clock can use more power than heating your food!
Don't waste energy when using computers. Make use of power saving modes,
turn off peripherals when they're not in use and make sure you switch everything off completely when you are finished
(or at least go into hibernate mode).
Use energy saving light bulbs。
These may cost more, but they use far less electricity than normal bulbs, saving you money in the long run.
Only boil the amount of water you really need in your kettle, and, if you're using an electric kettle, make sure you cover the elements.
Jug-type kettles need less water as they have smaller elements.
Use the kettle to boil water for cooking, instead of heating a pan on the stove.
Not only will this be more efficient, but it generally takes less time too.
Switch all electrical appliances off at the plug instead of using the 'standby' function. During standby the appliances
are still using electricity, and astonishingly, this accounts for 6% of all electricity usage in the home.
Defrost your fridge and freezer regularly to keep them running efficiently and cheaply -
if they frost up quickly, check the door seal. If your fridge is next to a cooker or boiler,
leave a good gap between them.
Consider buying a Savaplug. These replace the usual plug at the back of the fridge and will cut energy
use from the appliance by 20%.
When using washing machines and tumble dryers always wash a full load or use a half-load or economy programme.
Always use the low temperature programme - modern washing powders are effective at lower temperatures.
And don't put really wet clothes into a tumble dryer: wring them out or spin-dry them first.
Try not to use a tumble dryer unless absolutely necessary.
On dry days use an outdoor clothes line for fresh-smelling laundry and on damp or very cold days dry your clothes inside.
Airing cupboards are great for things you need quickly or use old fashioned clothes horses or overhead dryers.
If you have a computer which is busy downloading or burning a CD,
switch the computer monitor off and remember not to leave it on standby when turning the computer off.
Turn your microwave off at the wall when not in use. Powering the clock can use more power than heating your food!
Don't waste energy when using computers. Make use of power saving modes,
turn off peripherals when they're not in use and make sure you switch everything off completely when you are finished
(or at least go into hibernate mode).
CLIMATE FACTS
GREEN HOUSE GASES
Carbon Dioxide levels in the Earth's atmosphere have increased by 30% in the last 200 years alone.
Concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are currently at their highest for 800,000 years.
TEMPERATURES
Global temperatures have risen by over 0.7C since the 1700s with 0.5C of this warming occurring during the past 100 years.
The warmest decade of the last millennium was the 1990s with four out of five of the warmest years ever
recorded occurring during the decade. 1998 was the warmest year globally since records began in 1861.
1999 was the warmest year on record in the UK.
WATER
Average global sea levels have increased by between 0.1 and 0.2 metres over the last 100 years as a result of
heavier rainfall, melting artic ice sheets and water expanding due to warmer temperatures.
The frequency and severity of drought conditions has increased in Asia and Africa in the past few decades.
PREDICTIONS
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts a probable global temperature rise of
between 1.8C and 4C (3.2-7.2F) by the end of the century if current levels of greenhouse gas emissions continue.
The IPCC states that possible global temperature changes by the end of the century could be as high as 6.4C.
Sea levels around the world are likely to rise by 28-43cm by the end of the century.
Arctic summer sea ice is likely to disappear in second half of century
An increase in the number of heatwaves and tropical storms are expected in parts of the world.
HUMAN ACTIVITIES
world population has grown by more than 2.5 times in the past 55 years from 2.5 billion in 1950 to 6.45billion in 2005.
Global energy demands are projected to rise by as much as 60% in the next 20 years as a result of continued population
growth and economical, commercial and social development.
Carbon Dioxide levels in the Earth's atmosphere have increased by 30% in the last 200 years alone.
Concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are currently at their highest for 800,000 years.
TEMPERATURES
Global temperatures have risen by over 0.7C since the 1700s with 0.5C of this warming occurring during the past 100 years.
The warmest decade of the last millennium was the 1990s with four out of five of the warmest years ever
recorded occurring during the decade. 1998 was the warmest year globally since records began in 1861.
1999 was the warmest year on record in the UK.
WATER
Average global sea levels have increased by between 0.1 and 0.2 metres over the last 100 years as a result of
heavier rainfall, melting artic ice sheets and water expanding due to warmer temperatures.
The frequency and severity of drought conditions has increased in Asia and Africa in the past few decades.
PREDICTIONS
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts a probable global temperature rise of
between 1.8C and 4C (3.2-7.2F) by the end of the century if current levels of greenhouse gas emissions continue.
The IPCC states that possible global temperature changes by the end of the century could be as high as 6.4C.
Sea levels around the world are likely to rise by 28-43cm by the end of the century.
Arctic summer sea ice is likely to disappear in second half of century
An increase in the number of heatwaves and tropical storms are expected in parts of the world.
HUMAN ACTIVITIES
world population has grown by more than 2.5 times in the past 55 years from 2.5 billion in 1950 to 6.45billion in 2005.
Global energy demands are projected to rise by as much as 60% in the next 20 years as a result of continued population
growth and economical, commercial and social development.
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