“HOMEOWNERS COULD SAVE


MONEY IN THE LONG TERM AS WELL AS DENTING THEIR ENERGY USAGE”


Tese are merely examples - depending on your lifestyle there are a near-infinite number ways to cut down your consumption. Just remember the golden rule: Longer- lasting equals less waste.


TIP TWO Back to basics Minimising waste is largely about shiſting your mindset and changing how you shop too. It goes without saying that recycling is a good idea - but even better is to purchase products that don’t come with as much packaging in the first place. For example, swap disposable kitchen towel for longer- lasting cloths - or cut up an old shirt to make reusable rags. Put on thick socks and a jumper when you feel chilly, instead of instantly whacking the heating up. Eschew the tumble-dryer in favour of putting up a traditional washing line (which, apart from possessing a certain Victorian charm, is also much kinder to your clothing). It’s not always possible, but where you can, see products as investments: Buying a high-quality (ideally second- hand) wooden desk might not seem very ‘save the rainforest’, but a really sturdy unit might not need binning for decades.


TIP THREE Be more switched on about energy efficiency As for reducing your home’s energy usage - and bills - slightly cooling your water is a good start, but we’re betting you can manage a degree off your radiators too. Insulation is the word of the day: Te more heat stays within your home, the less your heating system has to work overtime. Arrange an annual home energy audit to pick up on any cracks or fractures in your brickwork that might be leaching precious degrees into the outdoors. Windows are a common culprit: Double glazing provides a formidable defence against heat loss, while for the unclothed window, a simple set of curtains works wonders for heat retention too. But perhaps your biggest bother lurks up above, at the top of the house. Te Energy Saving Trust estimates that a quarter of all heat loss occurs through the roof area, so sealing up the loſt or attic with insulation could be a financial and environmental boon. Unless you’re a longstanding DIY ninja, get a professional in to help. Now for the fixtures, fittings and fiddly stuff. Long-life, energy-efficient LED bulbs really do make a difference (and they don’t blow and leave you in the dark so oſten), while investing in a pressure cooker could save you valuable cooking time and energy usage in the kitchen. Not leaving electricals and chargers


on standby is always good practice too: Try attaching several devices to a multi-plug extension cable, allowing you to shut everything down with the flick of a single switch when leaving the house in a hurry. Again, try to come up with your own methods, as the best energy- saving tricks depend on your own lifestyle and how you were using energy in the first place. Te truly committed can cut out entire devices: Tere are hand-powered coffee makers, hand- powered blenders, even wind-up radios and washing machines (yes, really!). But being eco-friendly doesn’t require a return to the dark ages, and it can be equally green to double down on tech. Tere’s now a range of apps and gadgets that enable you to switch appliances in your home off and on as needed when you’re out and about, or turn off any rogue leſt-on lights needlessly guzzling energy, from the comfort of you favourite armchair.


TIP FOUR Up on the roof Alongside the small switches and swaps, there are some big, statement moves for those willing to make sweeping changes to a home. Solar panels are an established option for the eco-conscious builder, and hundreds of thousands of homes have now had them installed. While initial costs may apply, homeowners could save money in the long term as well as denting their energy usage, by harnessing the sun’s rays as a planet- friendly energy source. Another rooſtop solution? How about installing a ‘green roof’ or ‘living roof ’. Halfway between a regular roof and a garden, this basically means having live plants or grass occupy the space.


PROPERTYMAIL / 33


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