Green up your life

Green Money Saving Tips.

5 Easy Ways to go GREEN

Support local Farmers,
The transportation of grocery products burns fossil fuels and results in carbon emissions. Buying from your local farmer means you are getting fresher food and helping the environment.

Grocery/Shopping Bags
It is estimated that somewhere between 500 billion to 1 trillion are produced each year. As well as the environmental cost of producing them it is estimated that about 100,000 whales, seals, turtles and other marine animals die from them each year according to Planet Ark. They are also the 5th most common item of rubbish found on beaches. So by re-using or using an environmentally friendly bag you can save the worlds resources and help marine life too.
Plant trees and shrubs,
A very easy tip and way to help the planet as plants produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide.
Have a shower and not a bath,
This is another very east tip to do, a bath uses about100 litres of water, a shower will use about a third of that. So you will save on water plus more importantly you will save on your energy bill as you will be heating up less water. The exception is the power shower which can you as much as a bath so to save money you would need to change it.
Think about your floor,
Everybody always talks about the roof but this tips at ground level. Floor insulation for under the floorboards costs about £90 and payback time is a couple of years. If this is not feasible try to fill the gaps between the floor and skirting boards with a sealant like silicon but be careful not to block under floor airbricks. This tip should save you about £20 per year on your energy bills.
Mobile Phones,
Recycle and get paid for your old mobile phone. More details available at envirofone.com

GREEN UP YOUR LIFE AND SAVE MONEY AND ENERGY

Saving Energy begins at home

Home energy use is responsible for over a quarter of all emissions of CO2, so there is no better place to start reducing the size of your carbon footprint-and your domestic bills. A few simple, cost effective changes will dramatically reduce the amount of energy you use in your home and could save you over £300 a year.

Take control of your heating

You can avoid heating an empty house by using the timer so your central heating is switched off when nobody's at home. If you have radiator valves, you can also turn off radiators in rooms that are not being used. And if you would like to cut your heating bills down by 10%, just turn your central heating down by one degree.

Put a jacket on your hot water tank

Fitting your hot water tank with an insulating jacket will only cost a few pounds and pays for itself within 6 months. Fit one that is at least 75mm (3 inches) thick and you could save £30 each year.

Insulate your roof and walls

Around half the heat lost in a typical home escapes through the walls and the roof. Insulating your loft is simple to do and you can even do the insulation yourself. If you already have loft insulation check its thickness and if necessary add another layer to bring it up to the recommended 270mm.

Insulating your wall cavities could save up to £120 a year. Installation takes just a couple of hours for a typical 3 bedroom house and can be done from the outside.

Dodge the draughts

Eliminate draughts and wasted heat by installing a cheap, easy-to-fix brush or pvc seal on your exterior doors. Put draught-proof covers on letterboxes and keyholes too.

Draughts also get in through gaps in floorboards and skirting boards; stop this by filling these gaps with beading or sealant.

Don't leave it on standby

Leaving appliances plugged in and switched on at the socket means they are still using energy-so turn TV's, games consoles and mobile phone chargers off at the mains to save yourself money.

Turn off the lights

Always turn off the lights when you leave a room. And remember energy saving bulbs still use energy, so keep them switched off too when not in use.

Buy energy efficient appliances

Always look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo if you are shopping for a new dishwasher, boiler or even just lightbulbs. It is your guarantee that these products have met the strict criteria on energy efficency, will cost less to run and help reduce carbom emissions.

Recycling Facts & Figues

Between 1996/97 and 2005/06 household waste generated per person in the UK increased by 9 per cent. In 2005/06, this was equivalent to each person generating an average of 512 kilograms, or just over half a tonne, of waste.

The proportion of household waste per person collected for recycling or composting increased from 7 per cent in 1996/97 to 26 per cent in 2005/06. This represented 135 kilograms per person per year in 2005/06.

The amount of non-recycled waste per person rose steadily up to 2001/02. It then decreased by 18 per cent between 2001/02 and 2005/06, to 376 kilograms per person per year. Most of this waste goes to landfill, a method that makes little use of waste and produces greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide and methane.

In 2005/06, a total of 30.8 million tonnes of household waste was collected in the UK. In Scotland, 27.6 per cent of this waste was sent for recycling or composting. England, Northern Ireland and Wales had recycling rates of 26.7, 24.5 and 21.9 per cent respectively.

In 2005/06 compost was the largest component of recycled household waste in England (36 per cent of the total). The next largest component was paper (22 per cent). Co-mingled collections - which is collection of a number of recyclable materials in the same box or bin (for example paper, cans and plastics) - together with other materials (such as wood, furniture and oils) made up 23 per cent. Glass made up 11 per cent of the total recycled household waste in England.
source national statistics

green money saving ideas