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Save £100s by saving energy

Globe in the clouds

How about doing your bit towards saving the planet, having some fun AND saving money. There are loads of quite simple, environmentally friendly things you can do at home, which can save you cash, says Teena Lyons

Step one: Be cool. Never site your fridge next to your cooker or boiler, it will have to work harder to get rid of the heat. Old fridges use a lot more electricity than new ones too. On average, a new fridge bought today (look out for A ratings) will use a little over half of the electricity of one bought in 1992. The same goes for freezers. Replacing your noisy old chest freezer with a new energy efficient model can save around £40 a year.

Step two: Flush less. Flushing the loo uses up about a third of the water consumption of an average house. While you may not want to flush less, you might consider fitting a water saving device such as the Hippo the Toilet Water Saver or Interflush which conserves about three litres of water, about 33% of water used in the loo, each time a it is flushed. The £7.99 Hippo is made from heavy gauge polyethylene, which sits in the toilet cistern. When the toilet is flushed, the water confined in the Hippo is saved. If you find the level of saving impairs the flushing, you can simply cut off one of the bottom corners of the bag. www.hippo-the-water-saver.co.uk and www.interflush.co.uk

Step three: Heat clever. If you can, avoid using a roaring gas fire. These fake fires lose 90 per cent of their heat straight up the chimney. Visit www.orionheating.co.uk for useful information on grants to install more efficient eco heating systems. Fit radiator panels too. These silvered strips simply slot in behind radiators and reflect heat back into the house, saving up to another 25% on heating bills. They’re around £20 for ten at www.joulesave.co.uk – or use kitchen foil.

Step four: Brew up. Time to reflect on all those fabulous energy saving initiatives with a nice cup of tea. Instead of turning to the over-filled kettle and wasting gas, consider installing a boiling water tap that uses water kept at 100C in a thermos-lined tank. Alternatively, use an instant hot water system such as the Tefal Quick Cup (around £50) that gives you hot or cold filtered water at a touch of a button. The great advantage of this gadget is that it only heats the water you need and the makers claim it can save up to 65% energy, compared to an ordinary kettle. It also takes just three seconds to heat a mug of water so you can enjoy your cuppa quicker.

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