Energy saving tips.

Hi and welcome to the "energy saving tips" page.An important step in the right direction to fight climate change and to stop global warming could starting in our own homes and houses, and this with saving energy.Especially now, in times of economic crisis, it's not a bad idea to think about saving some money on our electricity bill, and on the heating of our house ( I know, this could be electrical too). Everything perfect insulated, and nothing that you can think about of energy waste in your house? Then you certainly may skip this page.

If not, then I suggest to read this page carefully, there might be an interesting part in it that can be useful to you.

Saving energy.I know what you think, it's too difficult! It takes too much effort, and it cost money.

Not at all. OK, some energy saving tips are going to cost you some dosh, but this you'll win back double and more, after some time.Remember! Energy ( electricity,gas, oil...) cost you money too.More important is our contribution to fight climate change and global warming.Even if you, and I (we) only can contribute of a little stone to in our combat. If we all laying a stone.. , then in the end we have a big hill ( figuratively speaking of course) and every stone means, lower energy use, and this means lower co2 emissions. Lower co2 emissions means that we go the right direction in our fight against global warming and climate change. That's my point of view..

Energy saving tips not only means lowering co2, but also it means that the stays were it belongs into your pocket, or on the bank. Especially nowadays with the ever increasing energy prices,we all know that it is smart to save money wherever we can. At the same time we are improving our environment and preserve the Earth ( what is in fact the more important reason for saving energy and to follow these energy saving tips carefully).

So, we'll win on two fronts.

How can you do this?

For instants, less heating in your homes means less gas use our oil use,..and this lead to lesser co2 emissions.Less use of electricity means that electricity plants needs to produce less energy,and this lead to lowering co2 emissions.. .In the past,countries have been taken some energy saving steps already,and this long before global warming was a fact.

Also: The introducing of the summer hour in Europe.Some engineers who have calculated the profits,say that this measure has saved the governments millions ( Euro, Dollars our Pounds). Anyway, a lot of money is been saved through-out the Years.

Now we come to the energy saving tips at our own home.

There are in fact two categories of energy saving tips.

First: the immediate electricity savers that are already viewable after a few month. So, you'll save money without much efforts .

Secondly: Energy saving tips that are asking some money investing of you side. For example: isolation of your home, new central heating system , energy friendly devices....This means, you have to spend some money, true. But in the end, after a year or two, these steps that you make will pay you back every bit of it.

And...In the back of our mind, the first reason that we're doing it, is to fight climate change. Isn't it so?

Let's start with the energy saving tips with immediately effects on your energy bill.

While doing the laundry..

*Washing your laundry on 60 degrees will cost you twice as much energy as if you do your washing on 40 degrees. Washing on 90 degrees cost you 3 times more. If you are doing 250 washes par year (50 on 40 degrees and 200 on 60 degrees) You can save as much as 20 euro,$30, if you do from now on 200 times on 40 degrees and 50 times on 60 degrees. Read the package of your detergent, you'll see that it is perfectly possible to do your laundry-on lower temperatures,with the same result.

*Make sure that you laundry is well centrifuged before it goes into the tumble dryer. This means a shorter time in the tumble dryer and again you'll save energy* When possible, then dry your laundry outside, on a line... I know that's the old fashion way, in the sun and with the wind. Zero cost of energy. I say , if it's possible, of course ( when you have a garden, dry weather...).

* Don't use your washing machine before it's fill or almost fill, and not with a few pieces of clothes.This will make a big difference in your (yearly/monthly) energy bill

* If your washing machine or your tumble dryer has an economy key, use it as much as possible. Again, it'll save some substantial amount of energy and money.

Energy tips in the kitchen!

Energy saving tips for Gas and electricity cookers

You save energy by using pots that have the right size, so don't use pots that are bigger than necessary to cook your meals.

Put a cover on top of the pots, and don't use to much water. Cooking goes much quicker and saves a lot more energy Use matches to Light the gas cooker, it save you a lot of gas on the end of the year.

A presser cooker is the fastest way to prepare meals that need a long time for cooking. It's also healthier then a normal pot, because of the shorter cook time the vitamins stays more preserved.

Barbecue is also energy friendly cooking. No use of electric or gas cookers.

Energy Saving tips for

Refrigerator and chest freezer

* The door of your refrigerator: Never let it stand open, close as soon as you can. Keep the cold inside.* If possible,Place your refrigerator on the coolest room of your house. Certainly not close to the heating system , in the directly sunlight or nearby any other heating source.* Don't place the refrigerator to close to the wall ( leave 10 cm/ 4 inches space). A refrigerator needs to loose it's warming on the back side, and it's using less energy when this is really good working. So,keep the grid on the back of the refrigerator clean .

* When not using ( while your not at home for a few day's), then you better shut down. It's a waste of energy to keep your fridge working. Let the door ajar, to avoid that * frozen products can better be defrost in your refrigerator. It saves energy, because the cold stay inside the refrigerator, and make that it doesn't has to work for a while.*. When you see a layer of ice, you know it's time to defrost the refrigerator. Defrost regularly ( every two month ).* Check if your refrigerator's door properly shut. Try this out: Stick a piece of paper between the door and close. If you can easily pull the paper out, then the door is not well closed.

TV , computers and other electric devices

If all your devices are standing on stand-by, you will have a much larger electricity bill than when you all devices are really shut down.Realize that printers and computers, fax...., even when you have them shut down,but you leave the plug in, they still use energy.If you shut your computer really down and plug out,or with the switch of the multiple plug-in box, you switch of all devices at ones), it can save you around $ 15 year.

* When the re-charging of your cell phone is finished ,then don't kept the battery charger plugged in. Also all the other re-charging devices at your place. Pull the plug out.

* All stand-by electricity that you loose can cost you up to $150, depending how many devices there are in your house hold.

* This for computers,printers,televisions,video players,dvd players,...

* Halogen lamps are working with a transformation, using 5 watt electricity, even when the switch stands on off. Best is this: Pull the plug out.

At your own house!

Houses build after 1992 are having the advantage of being very well insulated. They have sometimes special floor or wall heating. If your house is recently build, there can go much wrong with the heating of the house. Especially houses build after 2000 are excellent insulated, and this will improving by the technology. Nowadays, architects and engineers knowing much better how important it is that house are having quality heating system, and secondly, are a perfect insulated.

Houses build before 1992 need more care and home improvement steps. * Put the thermostat of your room, one hour before leaving or going to sleep,13 to 15 degrees. *Thermostat 1 degree lower during the day time can save you up to 10 % on energy costs.

. In the summer month you can Shut down your central heating system completely. If you have a boiler that provides warm water for bath or your shower, then it's better to leave it on. An electrical warm water boiler is no option, because electricity is more expensive.

Of course , it's a waste of gas/ oil. If you wish to save these energy, then consider to purchase a flat solar water heating system, that you can place on the roof. Again, this system cost money, but in the long run you"ll win back all the costs. More about solar energy you'll find on "green Energy".

* Taking a shower in stead of a bath can saves energy. You use more water when you take a bath.

*Double or triple glazing windows are insulating very efficient. Older houses may have have single glass windows.If that's the case in your house, then to keep the cold outside in the cold month of the winter you can do two things. - Make sure you have that the curtains are thick enough -Protect your windows with plastic foil. The one with air bubbles. The same foil used as package protection. Excellent insulation material. Easy to set, and a cheap solution for your single glass windows problem.. But the best is ti re-place them by double glass windows.

If you live in a bad insulated old house ( I know, it's not your fold you live there) When you would move or insulate your old house perfectly, you would use 1/3 less energy then you used before the insulation process. so, insulation might cost you a few hundreds $,£ or Euro. These costs you"ll win back in no time.

Put Insulating material below the roof on the attic can save you another 15 % on the central heating costs. The costs of this insulating materials you'll win back in no time.

All information about these materials you can find in your local home improvement shop.

Wrap all the tubes with that are coming true cold places ( the basement)in insulating materials, it will avoid also freezing of the water.

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