![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Saving money and the climate
About a year and a half ago, sparked off by a really excessive phone bill (http://watervole.livejournal.com/96055.html) I started looking into ways to cut down our household bills.
I'd say it's been pretty successful. We don't have any more money coming in than we did back then, but we were able to go on holiday this summer, we're supporting![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
exalted_mugwump though university and I can still afford to go to conventions.
It makes me notice how sharply climate issues have come into focus recently when I realise that I started the quest in order to save money, but the same quest is now allowing me to reduce our CO2 emmissions. I'm absolutely positive that our gas bill will be down on the last twelve months - that will be partly due to double glazing (we already have best loft insulation around), but also due to tricks that take the maximum advantage of passive solar heating. (we're blessed with a south-facing rear)
I'm shaving down the electricty usage (quite serious shaves in some areas). The little socket meter I got earlier in the year has paid for itself several times over.
The latest trick is an easy one (you can try this at home, folks). Pour 1 mug of water into your kettle and paint a line on the kettle. Do the same for 2 mugs, one thermos flask, or whatever you normally use. If you only fill the kettle to what you need, you'll save money. If, likewaveney you typically overfill by about one mug, then you'll save £8-£9 per year. However, if, like my next door neighbour, you normally fill your kettle to the 'max' level for a single mug of tea, then the potential saving is more like £30 - £40 a year. She was astonished when she realised what it was costing her. She'd simply never thought about it before.
I'd say it's been pretty successful. We don't have any more money coming in than we did back then, but we were able to go on holiday this summer, we're supporting
exalted_mugwump though university and I can still afford to go to conventions.It makes me notice how sharply climate issues have come into focus recently when I realise that I started the quest in order to save money, but the same quest is now allowing me to reduce our CO2 emmissions. I'm absolutely positive that our gas bill will be down on the last twelve months - that will be partly due to double glazing (we already have best loft insulation around), but also due to tricks that take the maximum advantage of passive solar heating. (we're blessed with a south-facing rear)
I'm shaving down the electricty usage (quite serious shaves in some areas). The little socket meter I got earlier in the year has paid for itself several times over.
The latest trick is an easy one (you can try this at home, folks). Pour 1 mug of water into your kettle and paint a line on the kettle. Do the same for 2 mugs, one thermos flask, or whatever you normally use. If you only fill the kettle to what you need, you'll save money. If, like
waveney you typically overfill by about one mug, then you'll save £8-£9 per year. However, if, like my next door neighbour, you normally fill your kettle to the 'max' level for a single mug of tea, then the potential saving is more like £30 - £40 a year. She was astonished when she realised what it was costing her. She'd simply never thought about it before.