eco-homes - go green and save money

Eco-homes - go green and save money
It seems that not a day goes by without some mention of climate change. We all know we should be taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint, but with today's hectic lifestyles, it's hard to know where to start.

But as energy bills, fuel prices and the cost of groceries all continue to rise, there's now an added incentive for making our homes more eco-friendly. Here we show you how you can make small changes that will not just make you feel like you're doing your bit for the environment, but can also save you some serious money!

Lighting and Heating
One of the easiest ways to save a bit of energy is to invest in some energy-saving lightbulbs. They've had bad press in the past, as they used to be bulky, ugly and not as bright as ordinary bulbs, but technology has moved on, and they are now available in a range of shapes, colours and sizes. While the bulbs are more expensive in the first place, they last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs, and use up to four times less electricity, so you will quickly make back your money and start saving.

On top of this, it's amazing how much energy you can save just by turning unnecessary lights off. It's worthwhile getting into the habit of switching the lights off when you leave a room - just by switching off one bulb for an hour every day, you'll save enough energy to power a month's worth of telly watching! With the lighting in most homes accounting for 10 to 15 per cent of the electricity bill, this one simple tip could save you up to £25 a year.

There are also several things you can do to save on your heating bills. Consider replacing you boiler with a condensing boiler. Again, this might seem costly upfront, but according to the National Energy Foundation, you would recoup these costs in three to four years. Alternatively, you could insulate your existing boiler for significant energy savings - if we all lagged our hot water cylinders with an insulated jacket, we would save enough CO2 to fill over 4.2million double decker buses! If you have electric-powered heaters, another idea is to fit each heater with its own timer, so that you can heat different rooms at different times, according to use. And if all that sounds too much like hard work, even just turning the thermostat down by just 1°C can cut as much as 10 per cent off your heating bills!

Insulation and Glazing
Now that you've saved money on warming your house, the last thing you want is for all your efforts to go to waste - around half of heat loss in a typical home is through the walls and loft, so it's worth checking whether yours are insulated. If your house was built between 1920 and 1980, chances are yours is one of the eight million homes in the UK that could benefit from cavity-wall insulation. It takes less than a day to install, with minimum mess and disruption, and could save you around £150 on fuel bills, which would make up for the original cost in three to five years. Insulating your loft is even more straight-forward, as it's a job that can be done by a novice DIY-er. Insulation materials can be bought from any DIY store relatively inexpensively, and if you were to put down 250mm of insulation in an empty loft, you'd save £70 to £270 a year.

We couldn't talk about saving energy without mentioning double glazing! However, it can be expensive, especially if you live in a period property and want to retain the original look of the windows. Before shunning the idea though, it is worth bearing in mind that double-glazing should cut heat loss from your home by 50 per cent, and could save you almost £100 a year in heating bills. It is also something that homebuyers often look for, so is a great way to maximise your home's value.

There are several little things you can do to save energy when it comes to heating your home. 20 per cent of heat loss in a typical home is through ventilation and drafts, so invest in brush or PVC seals on the bottom of exterior doors, and perhaps a few draught excluders for other doors around the house. Make the most of natural light by keeping the curtains open while the sun still shines, but as soon as dusk falls be sure to draw the curtains to stop heat being lost through the windows. Also, try to make sure you don't drape curtains over radiators, as this will funnel heat straight out of the windows.

Ways with Water
A good way to save water is to switch to a water metre. Knowing that you’re paying for what you use should make you more mindful of how much water you waste. Your water company will fit one for free and it could save you as much as £200 a year. You could also make the best possible use of the delightful British weather and try your hand at water harvesting. At its simplest level this could just be one or two water butts. They're widely available from DIY stores and garden centres and cost about £30. Simply connect one to a down pipe and use the collected rain to water the garden.

Using rainwater indoors is tricky, but rainwater-harvesting systems are becoming popular. They work by collecting the rain that falls on the roof and putting it to use inside the home. Harvested rainwater can be used for everything except drinking and can reduce your household's mains water consumption by a huge 50 per cent. However, bear in mind that the systems on the market are expensive, so with this tip it would take you quite a while to recoup the initial outlay.

There are several handy gadgets on the market to help you waste less water. You can obtain a cistern displacement device free of charge from your water company. You simply fill it up and pop it in the cistern of your toilet, saving you three litres every time you flush! Also, wherever possible, take a shower instead of a bath - depending on the time it takes you to shower it can use as little as a fifth of the hot water. Even then, showers can use anywhere between six and 45 litres per minute, but by fitting a water efficient shower head you can save water and money.

Household Appliances
Now, we're not going to suggest you rush out and replace all your kitchen appliances with those that are more energy efficient! However, the next time you change or upgrade any of your appliances, keep an eye out for products with an Energy Saving Recommended label, as these can be 20 per cent most efficient. Also, fridges, freezers and washing machines all bare an EU energy label which rates the energy efficiency of the appliance on a scale from A to G, with A being the most energy efficient and G being the least.

In the meantime, there are simple steps you can take to start using your current appliances more efficiently. For example, washing clothes at 30 degrees saves energy. Instead of using your washing machine and dishwasher every day, wait until you have a full load - a half load setting uses more than half the energy and water. Fridges and freezers run more efficiently if they are defrosted regularly, and you should also remove dust from the element at the back on a regular basis. Avoid putting food that's still warm into the fridge as it then has to work harder to keep the temperature down, and it's a good idea to make sure the doors are held open as little as possible too.

Even just remembering not to leave appliances on standby can save the average household £37 a year! Electronic goods use 10-60 per cent as much energy when they are on standby as they do when they are in use. To turn off an appliance completely, use the power switch on the appliance itself or turn it off at the plug. Alternatively, for around £30 you can buy a device that will stop your appliances drawing electricity when in standby mode, which will save electricity and increase the life of the appliance by up to 15 per cent. Appliances with a charger, like mobile phones, or an external power pack, such as laptops, will still use power unless turned off at the plug. Many appliances have an LED which lights up when they are on standby. However, some don't, so it is less obvious that they are constantly sat there wasting energy. For example, do you switch your washing machine off at the wall when it's not in use?

Small changes, big savings!
There are lots of little changes you can make around the house that will cost you nothing. In the kitchen, when you're cooking on the hob make sure you match the pan size to the size of the hotplate to avoid wasted energy. Also use a lid on your pan, as this dramatically cuts the energy used. If you have a microwave, always use this to heat small quantities of food as this is much more energy efficient. Kettles are a huge energy guzzler, so make sure you only fill yours with as much water as you need, otherwise you're just heating it up to let it cool back down again. If you have an extractor fan in your kitchen, or indeed in your bathroom, turn it off as soon as it has done its job, otherwise it is simply sucking warm air out of the house.

Drying clothes on the washing line instead of in the tumble drier is an obvious way to save electricity. On rainy days, make sure you separate your load before putting it in the tumble drier – always dry heavier items like towels and jeans on their own. If you have a wood-burning stove, it is worthwhile collecting fallen branches from your garden, or when out for a walk, and using these as kindling. Try to recycle as much of your household waste as possible. By this we don't just mean making the most of your local recycling facilities. For example, a plastic milk bottle with the bottom cut off makes an excellent scoop for dry cat or dog food. Or perhaps use empty wine bottles as candle holders for that restaurant feel! Also, yoghurt pots and empty boxes can be used to store all kinds of things.

So whether you're keen to do your bit for the environment, or you just want to save some cash, there are plenty of things you can do to make your house an eco-home!