House prices are falling, food costs are soaring and gas and electricity bills are increasing faster than global warming.
I think you can safely say the economy is looking bleak, and one that looks to be going from bad to worse.
So there’s never been a better time to think about doing your bit for the environment. By taking some simple steps to reduce your carbon footprint, you could also save a sizeable chunk on your household bills.
In fact, with our Top 15 cash-saving tips, making a few changes could help you save up to a whooping £1835 a year!.
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1. Switch to low energy light bulbs. A low energy bulb will save you around £9 a year. Multiply that by 10 light bulbs and you’re really saving. Yearly saving £90 |
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2. Dry your clothes naturally rather than in a tumble dryer. Saving over £30 |
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3. Wash your laundry at 30 degrees. Your clothes still come out crispy white, but by reducing your washing temperature you cut the energy usage by a third. Saving £11 |
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4. Drink tap water rather than bottled water to reduce waste and save money. Annual saving of £275 |
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5. Switch off lights when they’re not in use. Having a 100 watt light bulb switched on for one hour costs around £1 a quarter. Yearly saving £27 |
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6. Fully switch off gadgets like TVs, set top boxes, computers, stereos and other gadgets overnight and other times when not in use. Average saving of up to £37 a year |
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7. Lag your visible hot water pipes, It costs only about £10 for the insulation, and doing so will save you the same amount each year. Saving about £10 |
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8. Turn down your heating thermostat and put on a jumper or cardigan instead. A typical household can cut up to 10 per cent off their gas bill by turning down your thermostat by one degree. Yearly saving £45 |
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9. A properly insulated loft can knock £110 a year off the average heating bill and nearly one tonne of CO2 per year. Annual saving £110 |
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10. Around 33 per cent of the heat is lost through the walls of a badly insulated house so install cavity wall insulation for big savings. Saving £90 |
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11. Seal the cold out with proper draught proofing on your doors, windows and letterbox. Saving of £20 |
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12. Stick to the speed limit. Driving at 70mph rather than 80mph will save you 25p every 10 miles according to the AA. Total saving around £250 |
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13. Switch to natural cleaning products such as lemon juice, white vinegar and baking soda. They give a brilliant clean at a much lower price than chemical products. Annual saving of up to £120 |
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14. Don’t be an old boiler. By fitting a new high efficiency condensing boiler with heating controls you will significantly cut your homes C02 emissions and fuel consumption. Save around £200 a year |
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15. Use your local market for your weekly shop. Buying from your local market helps reduce your waste packaging and could save you around £10 a week on your fruit and veg too. Annual saving of around £520 |
TOTAL SAVINGS TO BE MADE IN A YEAR: £1835
For more information on all of these tips plus hundreds more ideas for how to reduce your spending and green up your lifestyle, go to www.gogreenandfriendly.com
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