Top 10 Tips for Saving Money and the Environment

It is often the case that a frugal lifestyle can make a big difference to also helping the environment.

These are some tips which will help you save money and the environment

1. Moderate Heaters and Air Conditioners.

To heat the house an extra 2 degrees becomes relatively more expensive and contributes to increased carbon emissions. Try getting used to having the thermostat a little lower and the air con a little higher. Just by wearing an extra jumper you can make a big difference to your bills and the environment

2. Maximise Insulation

You can save heating bills by maximising the insulation for your house. This can involve investing in upgrades such as loft insulation, double glazing and cavity wall insulation. Check to see whether the government or agencies may be able to subsidise this. My local council (Oxford) provided cavity wall insulation for free!. The above will pay off in the long run. But, you can also make immediate savings by cutting out drafts, closing windows and using thick insulated curtains.

3. Only Boil What You Need.

To Make a cup of tea, my lodger used to boil a full kettle, enough for 12 cups! Not only does this take longer, but it uses energy unnecessarily. Eventually, I got round to asking him to only boil minimum and it will make a difference to saving money and energy. Similarly when boiling vegetables don’t have the pan boiling for 30mins, there’s nothing worse than overcooked brussel sprouts!

4. Cycle and Walk.

Nearly 50% of all car journeys are less than 3 miles. All of these journeys could be completed by walking or cycling. Both of these types of transport are much cheaper than other filling up with petrol (gas). This is especially important with the price of oil being so high. As an added benefit it will also help you get fit!

5. Turn it Off.

Everyone know we should turn lights off when not in the room, but less well known is the cost of leaving electrical appliances on standby. If you leave your TV permanently on standby you will unnecessarily use electricity and energy.

6. Re Use Things

In the past, the motto was ‘make do and mend’. Today’s attitude is ‘throw it away and buy a new one’. We don’t have to goto either extremes, but, before you start buying new items, ask whether you really need it or you could make do with something smaller.

7. Buy a Smaller Engine Car.

Is there any benefit in buying a 3 litre car which could theoretically do 170mph? If you want to make a big difference to your petrol bills, insurance and road tax, by a smaller engine car and help reduce pollution levels. This is one decision that can make a big difference. (my 1.4 litre Ford Focus, is still pretty nifty and doesn’t cost £60 to fill up a tank, yet…)

8. Reduce Your washing temperature.

If you reduce the temperature on your washing machine to 40degrees most washes will have the same results but use less power and energy. Also if you have the facilities for drying avoid using a tumble dryer, but use natural heat from the sun.

9. Take a Short Shower.

A shower can save a lot of money compared to a bath. Unless, like my lodger, your shower lasts for 30 minutes on the hottest possible temperature

10. Energy Saving Light Bulbs.

They are now becoming compulsory in the UK, but there may also be other electrical appliances where buying a lower power variety can save both money and energy.