. . . green by nature? Well actually yes we do try to be. I think most families ‘try’ to do their bit now as we have all begun to realise the importance of being ‘green’.
BritMums and British Gas are currently having a conversation about how we can all help to do our bit because they know how us bloggers like to talk. There are lots of things that you can do to try to conserve energy and hopefully make the world a better place for our children and their families in the future. I can’t actually remember how long ago I started to make changes, certainly as far back as being a teenager and those years are sadly very long gone by now!
Here are just a few things which we do to be green:
1. Energy-saving light-bulbs
We have these fitted in every light/lamp throughout our house, not only are they greener, they are cheaper to run too.
2. Recycling
We recycle all packaging, waste paper, old clothes – basically anything which can be recycled, we recycle. It’s hard to believe that at one point we just used to put everything into the landfill. When you look at the size of our wheelie bins and consider that most weeks we put out extra boxes of recycling that won’t fit into it, that’s a lot of recyclable rubbish that got buried beneath the earth.
3. Turning the thermostat down
I must admit, this was possibly the hardest ‘green’ effort I have made. I HATE being cold but I have been told time and time again that keeping the thermostat at a constant 18/19 degrees is far more economical that having the heating set to come on and off throughout the day. The theory behind this is that if the house is being kept at a constant temperature the boiler isn’t having to work so hard at heating a house from cold each time. Therefore, the house remains warm AND it’s cheaper to run too.
4. Switching off
It’s so easy to just flick the electrical items to ‘standby’ each night but is it really so much harder to just power off instead? Electrical items use almost as much electricity in standby as they do when in use so by switching off overnight or when you leave the house, you’ll be saving yourself a fair few pounds each year on your electricity bill AND reducing your carbon footprint at the same time.
5. Change nappies
You may have seen recently that we are giving gNappies a go, they are a cloth/biodegradable alternative and so far we like them and there will be fewer nappies in the landfill from our house.
6. Leftovers
This is another one that I have struggled with as I don’t like re-heating food but since I’ve been cooking far healthier meals, I have been using the leftovers of casseroles to blend into a soup for Hubby to take for his lunch the next day at work.
7. Extra layers
Sometimes it gets to that point in the evening where you suddenly feel a little chilly, but rather than walking to the thermostat and turning it up, I now walk up the stairs and grab a jumper.
8. Air drying
This is more by default than choice but since we don’t have a tumble dryer, I hang all my washing out to dry. There really is nothing better than the smell of washing when it has been hung out in the fresh air.
And finally, something which we haven’t started using yet but are certainly looking into is a ‘Smart Meter’. Several energy suppliers have begun to install these in homes and businesses as a method of measuring how much energy we are using and making us more aware of our usage. If you have a Smart Meter try switching electrical items on and off throughout the house to see how much each one uses, you may be surprised.
“I’m participating in the British Gas Smart Meter campaign. Smart meters work with an in-home display to show how much energy you’re using in pounds and pence. You can see how much you’re spending by leaving your phone charger plugged in all the time, or the heating on at night. And when you can really see how much you’re using, you can start to make small changes to become more efficient. Smart Meters automatically send British Gas readings so they represent the end of estimated bills! British Gas is committed to installing 1.5 million smart meters by the end of 2012. (British Gas Smart Meters).”
DISCLAIMER: This is a sponsored post but all words and opinions are my own.
I love the concept you started this post with–and the image works so perfectly!!
Great tips too. Yes, the air drying is a good one–even if by default! But my husband actually prefers air dry towels, he likes the roughness of them and I don’t mind so that actually works out quite well for us.
Ah thank you, well with the surname Green we can’t really be anything else can we – that would just be wrong 😉
Bring on the summer months, there is nothing better than the smell of washing when it has been dried outside on a sunny day!! I have to say the ‘rough’ towels are the only downside for me, I prefer soft and fluffy but hey ho!
Ah thank you, well with the surname Green we can’t really be anything else can we – that would just be wrong 😉
Bring on the summer months, there is nothing better than the smell of washing when it has been dried outside on a sunny day!! I have to say the ‘rough’ towels are the only downside for me, I prefer soft and fluffy but hey ho!