Environment & Money Saving Tips - Part 3
By Christopher Tait

Here are a few more money, energy and environment saving tips for you to implement. Some require an initial outlay of money but all will help make a difference.

Make better use of your radiators
Just about evey radiator that I know is crammed up next to a wall. But then that is where they are supposed to be. What we want to do is improve the efficiency of your radiators. Where possible put reflective panels or even use aluminium foil behind your radiator to reflect the heat back into the room.

Only boil what you need
Fancy a brew? Well don't fill that kettle right to the top. If you are only after one cup of tea then just put enough water in to boil for one cup of tea. Heating a full kettle each time is not energy efficient and will cost you more money each and every time you boil a full kettle.

Change your buying habits
Buy products that are environmentally friendly. This is fairly easy to do now as packaging will inform you if it is from recycled products or if it is a paper based product if it is from sustainable forests. You can also bulk buy as this not only has the added benefit of having a reduced cost across the numbers you buy but in general it also requires less packaging than having the items individually packaged. A feature will soon be available at www.communityfriend.co.uk on shopping habits and food miles that can help reduce your weekly spend.

Keep your fridge cool
Keep you fridge away from a heat source. Do not put your fridge next to a cooker or a radiator or even a washing machine. All of these give off heat and cause your fridge to work harder using more energy. Keep your fridge out of direct sunlight too. This will increase it's work rate. So will putting warm dishes inside. Cool dishes off by placing them covered into a bowl of cold water. You can then use the water on the garden after.

Turn it off!
Not using it? Then turn it off. We don't mean by pressing the standby button we mean pressing the big button or flipping the switch. Be it the telly or a radio or a light on in a room that you are not in and it is on or on standby then you are wasting electricity. This not only means more CO2 being pumped into the air and energy being needed for you to have those appliances on or on standby it also means you are pouring money down the drain.

Get A rated white goods
White goods (freezers, washing machines, fridges etc.) are rated between A and G. A being the most efficient and cost effective G being the worst. Try and buy the best that you can afford. Cheaper products are quite often towards the G end of the scale but will cost you more money in the long run due to the amount of energy they require to run. Buying A rated products will save the environment and save you money in the long run.