Eco-Auditor

The idea of this section is to provide you with ways to reduce your fuel and water use, recycle more and shop more responsibly. Average Energy Costs for a standard home are given in Energy Assessment & Certification section.

Further ways will be added to this section from comments provided within the Forum section

Many savings, both financial and environmentally can be achieved by simple changes in lifestyle.

For example, in our opinion the installation of Thermal Solar Panel is recommended when connected directly to the showers and ideally the washing machine rather than have electric showers, cold feed only washing machine.

Every little helps and potential personal savings can be made. Some "ways" are easier than others so take a look at the following guide;

Ways to Make Savings

Around the Home -

1. Study the other pages particularly "improvements" and where possible take advantage of Net Billing.
2. Don't overheat your home. Turning down the heat by just 1 degree C will save 10% on your heating bill and about 300 kg of greenhouse gases. Also wear a jumper or cardigan.
3. Radiators. Radiator reflectors installed behind the radiators that are on outside walls reflect the energy back into the room rather than through the wall. They are a moderate-cost item and quality home style reflectors will shortly be available from Offspring web site. Drop us a line if you are interested. You'll spend even less money if you build your own reflector. To do this, buy a piece of insulation board and cut it to cover an area of wall slightly larger than that covered by the radiator. Cover one side of the insulation board with aluminum foil or some other reflective material. Then fasten the reflector to the wall behind the radiator. Whether you buy or build a reflector, be sure that when installed it does not touch the radiator since it will conduct heat into the wall behind it instead of reflecting it back into the room.
4. Keep Radiators clean since dirt and dust absorb heat.
5. Covers, including curtains, over radiators or other heat source should be removed when radiators are in use because the covers absorb heat and block the flow of air into the room.
6. To operate most efficiently, a hot water type radiator must be completely filled with hot water. At least once a year at the start of the heating season your radiators should be bled, i.e purged of trapped air. This is accomplished by opening the bleeder valve on each radiator. The bleeder valve is the small valve located at the top and on the end of the radiator. Some bleeder valves can be opened with a screw driver while others are opened with a key available at hardware stores. When the valve is opened any trapped air will escape with a hiss followed by a flow of hot water. Once water begins to escape close the valve immediately. Bleed radiators running cooler than normal throughout the heating season.
7. During the winter months a great deal of heat is lost through the glass in your windows, particularly older single galzed windows. You can reduce such losses using clear plastic sheeting. The plastic sheeting is applied to the inside of the window frame and completely covers the window. The plastic will stop leaks, and the dead air between the plastic and the window will slow the transfer of heat to the outside.

   The plastic to use can be purchased by the roll or in kits. It should be at least 8 mm thick so that it's rugged enough to last the entire winter. For the windows to cover, the plastic sheet must run from the outer edges of the frame and the full height from the bottom to the top of the frame. There are a number of methods you can use to apply the plastic to the window frame. These include tape, glue, tacks, and woodstrips. No matter how you apply it, for maximum effectiveness, make sure that the seal between the plastic and the window frame is airtight. Leave one or two windows free of plastic so they can be opened for ventilation.

8. Keep windows clean for maximum light and energy from the sun.
9. Low-energy light bulbs. (CFLs Compact fluorescent lamps). They are more expensive to buy but last longer (up to 15 times) and save on energy costs (they only use 20%) during their lifetime.
10. Clean Bulbs and Fixtures. Dirt and grime from cooking, cigarette smoke and dust obstruct light, so keep bulbs, fixtures, and shades clean. For safety's sake bulbs should be removed from their fixtures before being cleaned and should be thoroughly dried before being replaced. Make sure bulbs are cool before cleaning, and put in water.
11. Timers. If you don't like coming home to a dark house, or want the added security of leaving some lights on when no one's home, consider lighting timers, which turn lights on and off automatically at pre set times. Using timers is much less costly in the long run than leaving your lights on all day. Timers will shortly be available from Offspring. In the meantime please drop us a line if you are interested.
12. Turn lights and other appliances off where rooms are not in use and close doors.
13. Doors. A poorly fitted external door will allow warm air to escape from a home during the winter months. However, there are a number of simple to moderate cost techniques for making your door more airtight . The loss of warm air is frequently greatest under the bottom of the door. This air loss can be prevented by installing a door sweep on the bottom edge of your door. An alternative to a door sweep is a draft guard. This is a closed tube of cloth filled with material and or sand which is laid against the bottom of your door. This product and sweeps can be purchased shortly from Offspring. In the meantime if you are interested please drop us a line. You'll spend even less money if you make draft guard yourself. Cut a 4" to 5" inch wide strip from an old sheet, dress or ideally a shirt arm. The strip should be longer than the door width. Sew the sides and one end together, then fill with material and or sand in a bag and sew shut.
14. Turn off all electric appliances such as computers, TV and Sound systems when not in use and don't leave them on stand-by. Even on stand-by they use energy costing you money.
15. Unplug your phone charger - equipment on stand-by uses up to 20 % of the energy it would use when fully on.
16. Buy 'A' rated kitchen appliances - they cost less to run and over time will give considerable savings on your electricity bill.
17. Use Appliances Wisely. Use the appliance that requires the least amount of energy for the job. For example, toasting bread in the oven takes three times as much energy as toasting it in a toaster.
18. Drying your clothes. Let the sun and wind dry your clothes instead of a tumble dryer.
19. Cooking. Cover the pot while cooking. This will save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they will allow you to save up to 70% energy.
20. Wait for the dishwasher to be full before you switch it on - a half full one uses the same energy as a full one.
21. Don't overfill your kettle - only boil as much water as you need.
22. Avoid unnecessary electricity use between 5pm and 7pm - help reduce national C02 emissions.
23. In the UK there is an availability of different electricity providers, Choose a company that provides power from renewable resources.

CAUTION

Persons over 65, infants, and persons with certain illnesses risk hypothermia if they stay indoors at reduced temperatures. If you think you could be at risk by turning your thermostat down, consult your doctor first.

If you are a tenant be sure to obtain the consent of your landlord before undertaking any alterations or works to property.

Transport

1. Walk and Cycle: use your feet or a bike where possible. Most of the distances driven in cars can easily be crossed with sustainable alternatives -and you avoid the traffic jams.
2. Use Public Transport. You will spend more money buying your car, on repairs and maintenance and on fuel than you will ever be able to spend on public transport. For longer distances, go by train instead of flying.
3. Efficient Cars. If you buy a car, buy a highly efficient car. If you buy a car that consumes 5 instead of 7 litres per 100km, you'll save on average 400 EUR on fuel every year - and about 750 kg of greenhouse gases.
4. Check your tyre pressure - a car with correctly inflated tyres is more fuel efficient.

Water

1. Shower not bathing. Take a shower rather than a bath. You use less water that needs to get heated using up to four times less energy.
2. Just one drip a second from a leaky tap can waste upto 200 gallons of water a month. If it is a hot water leak you are wasting both water and energy. A repair kit can be easily bought and fitted from most hard ware stores. If you can not find one drop us a line and we will try and help.
3. Aerators. Installing an aerator in your kitchen sink tap will reduce the amount of water in the flow. You'll use less hot water and save the energy that would be required to heat it. The lower flow pressure is hardly noticeable. The sinks in many modern homes may already be equipped with aerators, so check before trying to install one. Aerators will be available from offspring soon. In the meantime if you are interested please drop us a line.
4. Water Butts Collecting rain water off the roof of the house to use in the garden instead of reaching for a hose attached to a tap.
5. The WC Cistern. Many cisterns are larger than required. A simple way of reducing the water is to place something such as 1 litre water bottle in the cistern.

Other

1. Food: buy locally grown seasonal food - food produced in artificial ecosystems or greenhouses require a tremendous amount of energy, for heating and lighting. And transporting food over longer distances requires additional energy. About 11% of Europe's greenhouse gas emissions come from transporting food and products into your local supermarket.

Other web sites

1. In Ireland the main electricity provider is ESB who have a worthwhile section about energy efficiency. As well as savings tips you can calculate appliance useage, found at www.esb.ie
2. The Irish Government is running a project known as 'The Power of One', www.powerofone.ie

Ultimately it's all about lifestyle and if you want to save energy, changing a few habits will help.