Plugging Out (and other money saving, energy saving, planet saving tips)

The Energy Saving Trust estimates that the average UK home can save around 1.1 tCO2 and £280 per year by taking some simple energy saving measures.

Of course there’s the big stuff – like insulating your loft, installing solar panels or upgrading to double glazed windows – but there’s the little things too.

PLUG OUT:

It costs nothing, saves a fortune and only takes the flick of a switch and by turning off all your unused appliances you could save £35 a year and 120kg in carbon dioxide. And if every home in the UK Pluged Out together we’d save the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide as taking 660000 cars off the road.

CLOCK IT:

If invisible energy waste is out of sight then it’s also out of mind. But a visible energy monitor changes all that by showing you exactly how much energy you’re using on a simple screen and then helps you to reduce it by 5%. You’ll be horrified by how much power is used up by unused appliances. But you’ll have entire seconds of fun as you race around the house switching everything off to see how quickly you can reduce your score and achieve the lowest energy level possible – who needs online gaming?

GREEN CLEAN:

Washing your clothes at 30 degrees instead of 40 degrees saves a third of the electricity you use over a year and can give you a £12 saving on your bill. That’s 4 extra packets of eco washing powder or an entire new outfit from a charity shop.

MILK, NO SUGAR (AND JUST ENOUGH WATER TO FILL ONE CUP)

Boiling a full kettle if you’re only making one cup is a crazy waste of electricity. In fact the Energy Saving Trust estimates that if everyone saved energy by only filling their kettles with the water they actually need then the energy we would save could power all the street lights in the UK for two months. The easy way to use just what you need is to fill the cup from the tap then tip the water into the kettle to boil. It takes no time but makes a huge difference and will also save you £7 every year – that’s 7 extra packets of Hob Nobs for you to dunk at teatime.

Ps- Another way to save energy and money is by getting yourself the world's first designer lightbulb. And we just happen to be giving one away for our Shades of Shame competition.

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