With the possibility of energy bill rises of 44-62% over the next three years due to pending climate change legislation, the importance of cutting down our energy bills and protecting our environment by ‘thinking green’ has never been more important.

Here is some power saving suggestions to help you get through this winter and beyond - 

Let the sunshine in – During the day open your blinds or drapes and let the sun heat your home for free.  Remember to close them again at sundown so they help insulate your home.

Use extra layers – Before you turn the heater on, consider wearing warmer clothing and using an extra blanket on the bed. Wearing a few extra layers would mean that you don't need to have your heater turned up so high. Decreasing your temperature setting by just one degree can reduce your power consumption rate by up to 10%.

Choose an energy-efficient heating system – If you do need to have a heater, use zoned central heating, high-efficiency space heaters or radiant heaters and you could save up to 40% on your heating power use. Block off heat loss when your heater is on, make sure you always shut windows and doors and close curtains, especially at night as a window can lose 10 times as much heat as the same area of an insulated wall.  It’s also important to only heat the rooms you are using by closing the doors on rooms you don't need  to heat.

Eliminate wasted energy - Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms. Unplug that spare refrigerator in the garage if you don't truly need it.  Many people do not realise that this seemingly convenient way to keep extra drinks cold can add up to 10-25% to your electricity bill!

Shorten showers - Simply reducing that lingering time by a few minutes can save hundreds of gallons of hot water per month for a family of four. Showers account for 2/3 of your water heating costs. Cutting your showers in half will reduce your water heating costs by 33%.

Think Green - Do only full loads when using your dishwasher and clothes washer. Use the cold water setting on your clothes washer when you can. Using cold water reduces your washer's energy use by 75%. Use the clothesline, not the dryer, to dry your clothes. Make the most of the free energy from the sun to dry the washing. It is a much smarter option than using the energy of a clothes dryer, plus your clothes will be cleaner with the sun's ultraviolet light killing bacteria and removing stains!

Use appliances efficiently - Put your computer and monitor to sleep or at least shut off the screen.  Up to 60 % of the power used from a computer is used by the display screen. Set up your system to ‘go to sleep’ if you are away from your computer for more than 5 - 10 minutes.

Do the same with your TVs, VCRs, chargers and other electronics. Do not leave them on ‘stand by’. Although these ‘standby losses’ are only a few watts each, they can add up to more than 50 watts!
If possible, unplug electronic devices and chargers that have a block-shaped transformer on the plug when they are not in use. For computer scanners, printers and other devices that are plugged into a power board, simply switch it off at the wall after shutting down your computer. The best way to minimise these losses of electricity is to purchase ENERGY STAR® products with higher star ratings.

These are all simple measures that anyone can implement fi you are genuine about saving money and reducing carbon footprint.

To discover more about the emerging Carbon Economy and how to reduce energy costs on an ongoing basis for your business you should contact your local Advantage One Director, Tony Martin or Don Blackwell .