When you’re out enjoying the sun and warmth the summer (sometimes) brings, the last thing on your mind is probably saving energy and water. But these improved conditions can be used to your advantage to save you energy and money on fuel bills – so that you can use it for more important things like ice creams!
So What Can You Do Around The House?
- Air-dry your clothes – with all that lovely sun, there is no need for your tumble dryer so give it a deserved break. Invest in a clothes line or rotary line for your garden and let the sun and wind do their work. Your clothes will be aired and dry in no time, and you’ll be saving energy, money and helping the environment. Remember to invest in clothes pegs from sustainable sources!
- Open the windows – instead of switching on the air conditioning when the weather gets better, consider opening some windows and using the Earth’s air conditioning system. Leaving a couple of windows open around the house should build up a refreshing breeze and give your body a break from the winter of central heating. Closing the curtains or shutting the blinds on the windows will prevent the rooms from heating up from direct sunlight and save you the money required to power air highly consumptive air conditioning units or fans.
- Use natural light – avoid switching on lights in your house by leaving your curtains open for longer. This will save you energy and money, and you don’t need to worry about cold draughts in this weather!
- Freeze efficiently – consider upgrading your fridge and freezer this summer. A rated, or Energy Saving Recommended, appliances could save you up to £34 in running costs each year. That’s quite a few summer cocktails!
In The Garden?
- Don’t water the lawn – grass is one of the toughest plants on the planet and is quite happy to survive on just the rain coming from the sky.
- Collect water – invest in a water butt to collect rainfall to water your plants. It’s more efficient to water them in the early morning or late in the evening as less water is lost and more will get to the roots – the useful bit.
- Wear a jumper – if it starts to get a bit cold in the evening, don’t invest in an energy consumptive outside heater, put on a jumper! Similarly, don’t switch up the heating in the house.
- Cut your grass less often – by raising the blades on your lawn mower you’ll have slightly longer grass, but you don’t have to mow it all of the time and waste energy. Furthermore, longer grass has long roots that lose less water from evaporation, so you’ll be saving water too.
Out And About?
- Walk more – the last thing you want to do on a nice summer’s day is get in a hot car. Make the most of the weather and walk or cycle to work and the shops.
- Find a green gym – if you usually go to the gym, ditch the energy consumptive machines and think about finding a green gym. BCTV run many courses that get you out helping the environment in your community and give you outdoor exercise too.
- Go to your local park – if you’re looking for something to do, walk down to your local green space. Many will have events and activities for you to join, and you won’t need to pollute the environment with your car.
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Resources/Features/Features-archive/Save-energy-this-summer
