Top Tips Towards a Low Carbon Economy!
Learn more about the Word Environment Day (external web link).
Top Tips to Save Water and Slow Climate Change– without costing you a penny!
Did you know that we constantly re-use the same water?
We clean it so that we can re-drink it!
Energy used to clean our water adds more gas to the atmosphere effecting climate change.
Microwave, steam, or pressure cook vegetables
Boil only the amount of water you need in the kettle
Take a shower instead of a bath
Fill a dishwasher or washing machine before using it
Put a water hippo in your toilet cistern (or a plastic bottle filled with water)
Use a container to collect rain water in your garden for use on your plants/lawn
Don’t leave the tap running:
to wash hands - put the plug in the sink
to rinse dishes – put the plug in the sink and swill
to clean teeth – fill a glass to rinse with
to wash fruit or vegetables – use a bowl (and water your houseplants with the collected water)
to drink cold water – keep a jug full in the fridge
to rinse your razor – put the plug in the sink and swill
Back to top
Top Tips to Save Energy, Save Money, and Slow Climate Change – without costing you a penny!
Switch off lights when you are not in the room
Save water – water companies use energy to clean waste water for re-use – see ‘Top Tips To Save Water’
Reduce your room temperature by 1degree centigrade, it cuts your heating bill on average by about £40 a year!
Close curtains at dusk to keep the heat in
Switch off all appliances on standby, glowing lights, or little clocks can each use up to 5 watts of electricity a day that you don’t need to pay for (microwave, cooker, hi fi, computer, television, video, mobile charger, etc.).
Reducing your washing machine temperature to 30 from 40 degrees centigrade will save you over 40% of the energy used (and save you 40% of the money you would have spent!)
Use energy saving light bulbs – just one can save £100 over the lifetime of the bulb (they last about 12 times longer than ordinary bulbs)
Boil only the amount of water you need – either in your kettle, or, when cooking use only enough water to just cover your vegetables
For more information to help you save, see the following websites:
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/
http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/default.ct
Back to top
Savvy Shopping!
Use a ‘bag for life’ or take your own shopping bag (this saves water, energy and the effects of air pollution, from sourcing raw materials, transport, manufacture, distribution, and eliminates the final ‘rubbish’)
Refuse carriers, paper and plastic bags – but accept your receipt as proof of purchase
Only buy what you need to prevent waste – make a shopping list and stick to it.
Buy your fruit and vegetables loose, where practical you don’t need a bag even to weigh them in
Use local farmers markets, or ‘buy British’ to ensure fresh produce that hasn’t travelled the world (this will reduce pollution from transport and help towards reducing the effects of climate change)
Buy ‘Fair Trade’ products to support fair wages and decent conditions for workers. For more information see http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/
Buy ‘concentrated’ products and refills, avoid heavily packaged convenience foods (less packaging, less waste, concentrated and refills tend to be smaller and more can be transported in one go, reducing traffic pollution)
Use local stores, rather than driving to out of town stores. If you have to use a car, make sure tyres are at the correct pressure and that services are up to date
Use public transport for shopping trips away (emissions are reduced in the fact that the train/bus is going anyway and you are not adding to them by taking your car as well)
Buy from charity shops to support their causes and recycle/re-use goods
Buy shops own brands, they are usually not advertised, saving you money and saving the energy and resources used for fancier packaging of advertised products.
Choose re-usable products rather than disposable to minimise waste, energy from manufacture and transport and natural resources (e.g. razors)
Back to top
Cut down on fuel, Cut down on cost, Cut down on Climate Change
Maintain your car - Dirty spark plugs, air filter or fuel filter will all affect your fuel economy.
Tyre pressure - You can improve your fuel economy by keeping tyres inflated to the recommended level
Remove excess weight – empty your boot and back seat of things you don’t need, take off your roof rack (it also causes drag).
Don't Rush -Acceleration, braking hard and speeding all contribute to a decrease in fuel economy, read the road ahead and drive smoothly.
Use the Highest Gear Possible - Lower gear, more power, more fuel. To improve your fuel economy, drive in the highest gear possible when you are cruising at a steady speed. Don’t use sport mode.
Think Clean - Keeping your car washed and waxed improves aerodynamics and therefore affects fuel economy.
Avoid Excessive Idling - When a car is idling, it is using fuel, yet not going anywhere. Switch it off whenever practical.
Air Conditioning - Uses more fuel, but driving with windows down at higher speeds can be even worse due to the increase of drag on the vehicle. If you are driving slowly, such as around town or in city traffic, then you are better off leaving your windows open. For motorway driving, roll up the windows and turn the air conditioning on.
Cut down on Use and/or Combine Your Errands - A little planning can make a big difference in fuel economy. When your engine is cold, it uses more fuel than when it is warm. For short distances, walk or cycle
Use public transport when you can – it is going anyway, so go with it, there is no need to add another car.
Back to top
|