Reduce carbon - Heating & Cleaning
There are numerous changes you can make to your daily life style (ie taking showers instead of a bath) that can have an immediate effect on the environment. Even small things like turning down thermostats help reduce carbon and the footprint you leave on the planet every day of your life!
A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact humans have on the environment. There are some simple steps you can take to reduce carbon
HEATING
- GENERAL
Live in environmentally friendly buildings and install renewable energy systems like solar thermal systems.
Conserve energy and use benign energy where possible. - INSTALL DOUBLE GLAZING
Double glazed windows are made up of two glass panels with a space in between. This space is generally filled with air or gasses that will help with insulation. - INSULATE YUOR HOME
Improving your home's insulation will reduce carbon dioxide and save you money. Make sure you have updated wall and ceiling insulation. 35% of heat generated in the house is lost through the walls. Installing cavity wall installation to a medium size house could reduce your heating bills By installing 180mm thick loft insulation you could stop about 25% of your heating escaping through the roof
Ensure your doorways and windows seal when closed,
Insulate your hot water tank. - CENTRAL HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING
Turn down your heating thermostat by a couple of degrees and switch off whenever possible.
Install thermostatic valves on your radiators .
Stay comfortable by wearing more clothes and being active in the home during winter months.
Do the reverse in summer.
During the summer months, remember to run house-warming appliances like your washer, dryer, dishwasher and oven after the sun goes down to avoid heating up your house.
In the winter months use these appliances whenever your house is the coldest.
Use a fan instead of your air conditioning.
Help your air conditioner work efficiently by remembering to replace your filter regularly.
Have your boiler regularly serviced.
Electricity is one of the biggest producers of carbon emissions, so every time you make a coffee or turn on a light you are adding to global warming.
WASHING and CLEANING
- WATER TEMPERATURE
Turn down the hot water heating setting - just 2 degrees will make a significant saving. - WASHING CLOTHES
Hot water is not necessary for general clothes washing. In fact, it's only needed for greasy or extremely dirty items and nowadays there are special detergents to get these clothes clean in cold water. - HANG WASHING OUT TO DRY
Your tumble dryer is one of the worst household offenders for CO2 emissions and pushes up your electricity bill. Hang you washing outside, on a clotheshorse, in the utility room or elsewhere. - SHOWER INSTEAD OF BATH
A bath can take up to 190 litres of water. By showering instead of bathing you can save 45kg of carbon dioxide. The average shower uses 9 litres of water per minute this can be reduced by taking shorter showers and further still by installing a low flow shower head. - REUSE
Use reusable products ie sponges instead of paper towels.