More and more people are making an effort to live a greener lifestyle in order to do their part to combat climate change.
However, many people resist this idea, as they’re under the impression it will increase their monthly bills and reduce their quality of life.
Many people who care about the welfare of the planet don’t make as much as an effort as they could, as they’re under the impression that living a greener lifestyle will be better for the planet but leave them worse off.
However, this often isn’t the case, and these tips will help you do your bit to combat climate change as well as save money.
A quick and easy way to make your home more energy efficient is to replace your current lightbulbs with LED models, such as these from Wickes.
While LED lightbulbs are a higher upfront cost, they only use a fraction of the power to produce the same results, saving you money in the long run. They also last for years without needing to be replaced, making this upgrade a no-brainer.
Another easy way to save money over the colder months is to set your thermostat to come on at least an hour before you need it.
This seems counterintuitive, but setting your heating to come on early at a comfortable temperature will make it much less likely you’ll turn your thermostat up in an attempt to heat your house quickly.
Turning up the temperature in order to quickly warm your house is extremely inefficient, and avoiding it will save you money and be better for the planet.
As the Telegraph reports, Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, says that 18 per cent of all greenhouse emissions are caused by the process of farming animals for consumption.
He says that abstaining from meat is a big step towards slowing down the rate of climate change. It will also save you plenty of money on your grocery bills, as meat is considerably more expensive, gram for gram, than fresh vegetables and filling staples such as rice, pasta, and bread.
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Another great way of going green and saving yourself some money is to get rid of your tumble dryer, as according to money saving experts Which?, a standard model costs around £100 a year to run.
To save on your bills and lower your household emissions, hang your clothes out to dry on a washing line as much as the weather permits.
A great alternative to your tumble dryer for the colder months is this tower airer from Lakeland, which costs less than 6p an hour to run and is collapsible, saving you space as well as money.
To take your energy saving efforts to the next level, you can install solar panels to the roof of your house. While this involves quite a large upfront cost, it can cut a significant percentage of your energy bills each year, in turn reducing your household emissions.
However, if you’re planning on moving home during the next five years or so, you’re unlikely to see a return on this investment.
If this is the case for you, when you move, consider a new-build home which already has solar panels installed — recent innovations in solar panel design has led to some models that fit seamlessly alongside the existing roof tiles in a totally unobtrusive manner, such as these Intecto solar tiles from Romag.
Installing these energy saving measures in your home will not only increase its green credentials, but also save you a fair bit of money over the years.
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