Go green and save money

Going green on the home front isn’t just good for the planet - it also puts pounds back in your pocket. The Energy Saving Trust, based in Billingham, says by reducing our carbon footprint this year we could also save up to £340 on our bills.

Here’s some quick energy saving ideas - which will also cut costs around the house.

In one minute you could:

• Turn your thermostat down by 1 degree if it’s set too high and save around £65 a year.
• Always turn the lights out when you leave a room.
• Reuse where you can: more than 13 billion plastic bags are distributed in the UK every year. That is around 215 per person for the population of the UK.

In five minutes you could:

• Only boil as much water as you need when putting on the kettle.
• Control individual temperatures with thermo- static radiator valves to prevent unnecessarily heating rooms that are not in use.
• Put a water displacement device in your toilet cistern to save water.

In 15 minutes you could:

• Remember to recycle the waste from all the bins in your house - not just in the kitchen.
• Complete a free Home Energy Check and the Energy Saving Trust will provide a free report to help you reduce the carbon emissions in your home.

In 30 minutes you could:

• Treat your hot water tank and give it a jacket. An insulating jacket for hot water tanks only costs a few pounds and pays for itself within months. One that’s at least 75mm (3’’) thick could save around £40 a year.
• Invest in a water butt and use the water on the garden or to wash the car.
• Set up a compost heap in your garden. By composting at home you can save as much CO2 as your kettle produces annually.

In 40 minutes, you could:

• Try using leftovers when preparing a meal. If everyone in the UK eliminated their food waste, the carbon dioxide saving would be the same as taking one in five cars off the road.
• Insulate the pipe-work carrying hot water around your home and you could save £10 a year.
• Save around £30 a year by draught proofing doors, windows and letter boxes.

In half a day, you could:

• Insulate your loft to the recommended depth of 270mm could save you around £205 a year.
• Invest in cavity wall insulation. It could save up to £160 on annual heating bills.
• Swap your old boiler for a new condensing one. It could cut your bills by up to £250 a year.

For more information contact the Energy Saving Trust advice centre on freephone 0800 512 012 or go online to find out more at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/northeast.