subject: Eco Home Makeovers Part 1: Cash Saving Kitchens [print this page] Eco Home Makeovers Part 1: Cash Saving Kitchens
Welcome to the first in the My Greener Home 4 part series on easy ways to save money on your household bills and protect the environment at the same time. If you're thinking of home improvements, there is one style audit you can't afford to miss out on the Eco Kitchen Makeover. Making simples changes in your kitchen can dramatically cut your CO2 emissions, helping to slow down the process of global warming. Our tips here will also save you serious sums of money cutting your electricity and gas consumption will obviously cut your bills. This quick guide explains which items are a must-do, which you can do next and even how to turn household rubbish into valuable assets. By the time you've read this, you should have an easy to do' list, giving you real cash savings.
There are three essential steps to take for any room that will pay dividends by keeping heat in, saving energy used and lowering your bills:
Double glazing can help save up to 20% of the heat lost from homes when compared to single glazing.
Loft insulation can cut heating bills in the average home by 200. Use two layers of mineral wool to a combined thickness of 270mm. Insulating cavity walls will also help dramatically cut energy costs.
Chimney balloons (sometimes called chimney pillows) solve the problem of chimneys doing what they do best - drawing 'things' out of the atmosphere (like your nicely heated air). The balloons are a little like plastic pillows and fit snugly inside the chimney to effectively seal more of your heat in the room.
Once you've done those basics, its time to make your appliances work for you:
With country/shabby chic appeal, a Traditional Sheila Maid puller airer pays for itself in under 12 months (compared to drying up to 30 kilograms in a tumble dryer). You get the saving plus cut CO2 emissions by a whopping 0.15 tonnes every year.
When you do need occasional tumble drying, Dryer Balls will dry washing 25% faster.
Do not pay for clothes wash detergents or softeners - anti-bacterial Eco Balls cost around 3p a wash.
With the laundry sorted out, next move onto your electric and gas appliances. The golden rule with all kitchen appliances is to look for an A' rating for energy efficiency. A good retailer will be able to give you plenty of information on the different ratings and what they will mean for energy consumption and likely bills. Turn your attention to your cooker:
Fit the hobs of your gas cooker with a Gas Energy Saver. Ever noticed how gas shoots up the sides of smaller pans, for example, when you're heating some milk? Gas Energy Savers are a special catalytic alloy disc sitting neatly over each burner to stop your gas doing this otherwise, you simply heat the ceiling or the street outdoors via your extractor fan. These nifty gadgets also speed up your cooking time to save gas making your hot chocolate a much cheaper treat.
AGA devotees will save energy and money by switching to the new generation of electric AGA models. With state of the art control, they can be scheduled to switch on and off, saving expensive electricity.
As well as the cooker, don't forget other common appliances:
Save electricity by changing your kettle to an Eco Kettle EC03. Endorsed by the Energy Saving Trust, it efficiently heats exactly the amount of water you need, to the right temperature.
Tapmagic water saving gadgets cleverly add air to your tap's flow to reduce water consumption by up to 70%. They fit onto any style of tap in minutes and can save money on metered bills.
The fridge can eat up one sixth of all home energy used, so get an Ecosavers Fridge Thermometer to set fridges and freezers to the right temperature.
Prevent limescale damaging appliances by fitting a Scalewizard directly to the pipes - or use a Magnoball in the washing machine. These are much cheaper strategies than paying the call out bill for a plumber (not to mention the parts) to repair a limescale ravaged washing machine.
Finally, make your household rubbish pay you cash:
Do not pay garden centre prices for garden compost collect food waste in an odour free smart kitchen caddy or compost bin.
Save serious cash on winter fuel by turning waste paper into logs to burn in your fireside with a Dry Paper Log Maker. If you regularly generate a lot of waste paper, a Heavy Duty Paper Log Maker may suit you better.
Do not pay for bin liners use a Ben The Bin frame to turn old carrier bags into a handy bin.
Use more than one Ben The Bin to separate your recycling properly crush cans with a Foot Operated Can Crusher to save space.
Following these simple steps will of course save you money on your household bills that you could use towards something much more exciting, perhaps the family holiday fund or a special treat. The great thing about saving energy is being tangibly rewarded for helping to protect the earth's fragile environment. And most of us would like to be able to have a better quality of life in every sense, feeling we are doing something positive to leave the world in better shape for our children. Each of these products is easy to install and use. All are available online from My Greener Home. Remember to check back soon for Part 2 of our eco home makeover series on how to save money and the planet: the Living Room Eco-Makeover.
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