Most of us want to do the right thing, which is why going green has become a priority for many Brits. The bonus is that going green in many cases also means saving money. Sometimes it requires an initial investment to achieve a green goal, but once you’re up and running the ongoing savings are achievable. This article will outline for you the simple things that you can do to live a greener lifestyle, both environmentally and financially.
One myth that people believe, that actually costs them money, instead of saving it, is that it is better to let your car idle than to restart it. This had been true for very short stops when cars were less efficient, but thanks to technological advances, it is no longer the case. Any time you stop your car and are not in traffic, you should turn the engine off. Practising this habit can lower your carbon footprint a great deal, and with the price of gas these days, it could save you hundreds of dollars per year.
In fact, many new cars include start-stop technology, which means that when the car stops the engine switches itself off automatically. When the clutch is pressed to re-engage first gear, the car starts itself again. While you may not drastically reduce your use of petrol, it does save money over time and clearly benefits the environment with reduced emissions.
Another habit you should change is leaving electronics on when they are not being used. For example, even though your computer has a sleep function, if it is on it is using a good amount of energy. Leaving it on every night will add up to a lot of wasted energy and money over a year’s time. Other devices to remember to turn off include televisions, cable boxes and DVD players. If unplugging them will not disrupt their functioning you should do that, or turn them off completely through a power strip to ensure that they are not using any energy to operate.
Turn your lights off every time you leave a room. Following this rule will add up to a great deal of savings of money and energy. If you have not done so, you should also purchase and install the new energy saving light bulbs. They are just as bright as the old light bulbs, but use a fraction of the energy to operate. In addition, smart home technology can allow you to use timers, so light’s don’t always need to be on in an empty house – you can activate them as you approach home.
Instead of using air conditioning to cool your home you should use fans and open your windows as often as possible. An air conditioning unit uses a lot of energy and creates a lot of pollution. They are also very expensive to run. Fans use a lot less energy and have the ability to keep you cool, even on humid days. The most efficient type of fan is a ceiling fan because it redistributes air in the room. Fortunately it’s not something we need to worry about much with the UK climate, but increasingly people are turning to air con in the home for those few hot weeks of summer.
An easy change you can make to your routine is to use cold water to wash your clothing whenever possible. Doing this consistently will conserve both water and energy, in addition to the money that you will save. Most detergents work just as well in cold water, using hot water has no other benefit and can actually cause your clothing to shrink. More and more detergent companies have been improving their products over recent years, and now they’re designed to work in cool water – especially if you use liquids rather than powders.
Living green is something that you can continuously work on through your life. As technology advances we will have more ways to save energy, and as of right now we have many relatively new options. Now that you have read this article you have the information you need to implement a few ideas to begin living green and saving money.