There are numerous ways to save energy around our homes and through our actions at university and they generally do not even involve us changing our lifestyles. Merely stopping our daily unnecessary wastage leaves us with more beer and holiday money while simultaneously releasing our pressure on the environment. Below are our top energy saving tips;
- Turn off lights when they are not needed, especially when there is sufficient daylight, and when buying new bulbs always look out for energy saving ones. They might be slightly more expensive but they can save you money in the long run.
- Boil only the amount of water that you need in the kettle. Not only will you get your cuppa’ quicker it will also cost you less. To go one step further pour any excess water into a flask and save it for your next hot drink.
- Keep your doors, windows and curtains closed when heating to help retain the heat and always reach for an extra jumper first rather than automatically turning on the heating. If you do have a timer pregame then make sure that it is set to suit your lifestyle and check that your radiators are not obstructed.
- Do not leave the fridge or freezer doors open for longer than necessary and allow food to cool down before putting it inside. Pulling fridge freezers five cm away from the wall improves their efficiency and when buying new appliances always keep an eye out for A ratings.
- Start saving money instantly by switching off TV's, computers and stereos rather than leaving them on standby. Even at uni get in the habit of turning off computers after you have used them. A computer left on standby through the evenings and weekends wastes £20 per year and when you think of how many thousands of computers there are around campus that is a serious amount of money and carbon wasted.
Look out for our fortnightly eco tips in the Gaudie to get more valuable advice and if you can't wait until then here are some helpful websites with more great tips;
Visit ABLE website to find out about the environmental issues facing the university and ways for you to reduce its impact. Also find out how much energy your halls consumed last month and how that compares to last year’s students.
The Energy Saving Trust have great easy ways to stop wasting energy as well as offers on energy saving products and grants and offers available for home improvements.
Visit Energy Star to find out how much energy your computer uses.
Use the carbon calculator application to access your personal carbon emissions in a quick and easy format.
