Saving money and saving the planet at the same time

[watervole]

It's a happy coincidence that many things that are good for the environment are also good ways of saving money.

This works for me - I'm an environmentalist and a skinflint...

Today's handy tip for reducing your heating bills.

Go down to your local charity shop, find a suitable length curtain, and hang it behind your front door.  (You'll have to pay for a curtain rail/pole unless you already have one or are very creative, but it's only a short one)

I did this last winter, and if I drew it every night, the hall was definitely warmer in the morning.

Actually, the cheapest energy-saving tip of all is simply to draw your curtains when it gets dark.  I'm continually amazed by how many people fail to do this when the weather gets cold.

Comments

[catalenamara.livejournal.com]

>>>Actually, the cheapest energy-saving tip of all is simply to draw your curtains when it gets dark.

Or when it's hot. That and the use of fans works wonders. It's been up to 40 degrees Celsius quite often this summer, but I hate spending money on air conditioning, so drawn curtains and a few strategically placed fans does wonders.

[uitlander]

A few years ago I had a look at the recent climate charts (I used to be an environmental scientist) and concluded that 40° summers were almost a 100% certainty. I then set about slowly swapping my elderly light fitting throughout the house for ceiling fans/lights. They don't get used all that often, but my word when you need them they are fantastic.

[catalenamara.livejournal.com]

I love ceiling fans; I swear by them. 40° summers are common here (California); we have them every year, but I sure don't want it getting any hotter! When I was younger I lived in a part of Arizona where 49° (120-121 fahrenheit) summer days were not uncommon, but in California we have humidity - and that's a killer. We lose elderly (and other) people to heatstroke every year, and if it gets the least bit hotter, I think a lot more people will die. My brother has a background in environmental sciences, and he agrees, it's only going to get hotter, even if we do take every measure against global warming that we can. I think right now what we're looking at is trying to slow it down. Scary!

[kerravonsen]

the cheapest energy-saving tip of all is simply to draw your curtains when it gets dark.

Amen. I had no idea how much difference that made until I was living in a rental where my room did not have curtains, and ended up having a miserable, common-cold-filled winter. Ugh. Never doing that again. And compared to your winter, we don't have a winter.

[naath.livejournal.com]

And if you are buying new curtains you should get curtains made out of heavy fabric and not something that would make a nice summer dress (even if it *is* pretty and will look fantastic). I was lucky enough to inherit some heavy velvet curtains which do the job excellently. (This is however not a *cheap* tip, which is sad)

[watervole.livejournal.com]

The cheap tip, which I'll probably put in my LJ when I've done it for my new pair of curtains and costed it, is to get a lining AND a thermal lining. This ought to make even thin curtains nice and insulating.

[naath.livejournal.com]

I should line mine - but more to protect the fabric. I'm just super lazy.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

There's a sewing shop next to my fabric shop - I'm going to get them to give me a quote. I don't even own a sewing machine.

Sun/dust really can rot fabric.

[naath.livejournal.com]

I have a sewing machine, I can do straight lines... yeah, sun ruins things, so lining would be a good idea.

[auntygillian.livejournal.com]

Didn't I give you my old sewing machien when I went to New York?