The Lord is my light and my salvation. Psalm 27
Electricity and heat generation is one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions. We need to reduce usage and investigate cleaner sources of energy.
- Replace light bulbs with LED bulbs
- Turn off lights every time you leave a room
- Dry washing naturally (no tumble dryer)
- Switch your search engine to Ecosia
- Unsubscribe from unwanted emails and delete unwanted emails from your inbox
- Read a book or play a board game instead of using an electronic device
- Switch appliances off at the wall. Don’t leave them in standby mode as they still use power.
- Have a ‘cold’ day – turn your heating down by one or two degrees, put on an extra jumper and keep active in the house
- Switch to an electricity provider that provides 100% renewable energy
- Measure your carbon footprint. There are several tools online eg Climate Stewards, Giki Zero, WWF
- Offset some of your carbon usage
- Unplug your charger as soon as your device is charged
- Use less energy when cooking by putting lids on pans and only using the oven when you have several things to cook if possible. You could also invest in a pressure cooker or slow cooker. Use the right size pan and the right size heating zone.
- When you carry out home improvements investigate solar panels, air-source heating, double glazing, roof/wall insulation.
- Only run dishwashers and washing machines when they are full and use the eco setting where possible. Running overnight can help balance electricity usage and you won’t mind the longer cycle times.
- Keep appliances clean. Regularly descaling your kettle, defrosting your freezer, cleaning your tumble dryer’s lint filter and cleaning the coils at the back of your fridge helps them run as efficiently as possible.
- Consider the energy rating when you buy domestic appliances. A very efficient model will save on future energy bills, so may be worth the additional upfront cost.