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It's a huge powerful machine, with a blue-ray disc player, but just how much of the national grid is this chunk of machine pulling.Vampire Power: 2WPS3 Menu: 107WScanning Disc: 107 - 119WIn Game;Grand Theft Auto IV: 125 - 130WPretty shocking electricity consumption then, especially to the slimline energy consumption of the Wii, and almost four times the energy consumption of the PS2. But what worries me is that people when they are not using the Playstation 3 will leave the device on, on pause and turn the TV off.Running your PS3 in paused mode, overnight, for say 10 hours will use 1.25kWh, about 15p, but more worryingly there will be those that leave it on 24/7, over a day using 3kWh (36p), and a year 1,095kWh (£131.40). This is also adding up in CO2 emissions, about 1.65kg of CO2/day and, 602kg of CO2/yr.
It appears the PS3 is the Hummer of the console market, and so much so, leaving it on all year would produce 100 times it's own weight in CO2. For those that already know, the PS2 was such a success it sold over 100m units worldwide. So our advice is to anyone using a Playstation 3, is to switch off, anytime your not using it, or else you will have a chunky electricity bill next time around, especially with the increased electricity costs over the last few months.For information on the electricity consumption of other products check out "How Much Electricity Does a ... Use?"Please Note the energy use figures are taken from an energy monitor and are not scientifically analysed, therefore the range and margin of error is greater. If you would like a specific product tested let us know and we will endeavour to check it out.
It's that time of the year again when we are all thinking of Christmas, not least so because of the current financial crisis. I was in town this week and already the operation of installing decorations has begun, with ten weeks til the big day there are some ethical Christmas presents from charitable organisations.Oxfam and Christain Aid however this year has also launch with this presents for the eco-warrior. These include Bicycles (£30), Solar Panels (£35), Organic Cotton (£29), Baby Buffalos (£93), and Protecting Forest (£45).If your pondering what to buy your friends, mother, brother, auntie, granny or colleague for Christmas but fear you will be amongst the £2.3 billion spent on unwanted Christmas gifts or the three-quarters of us who spend £50 on tat, you could spare a thought for those less fortunate and give two gifts in one, or three; - A real gift for someone or community in a developing country
- This gift can be given as a gift to your friends or family
- The gift of not having to find a space for the initial gift to gather dust (38.7% of unwanted presents meet this end) or touted on eBay (27.5%)
Many charities including World Vision, Christain Aid and Oxfam have launched this year their alternative Christmas gift shops, and by asking communities what they want, they really hope to not just help people but improve the lives of many people for the future to come. Asking an 11-year old girl what they want for Christmas would most likely end with a discussion about the High School Musical 3 Dance Mat, ask a child in Bolivia, it might be a birth certificate (£6), or in Sri Lanka, might be 20 chicks (£14).Whilst World Vision pledge each gift you buy will go towards the scheme involved, however if a gift is oversubscribed funds may be allocated to a different project to ensure that funds are used where appropriate and needed most. Oxfam also suggest that gifts are symbolic and funds are used where appropriate to ensure maximum value for donations. In a small way I feel cheated, that funds from buying 20 chicks may actually buy a goat. Imagine if you asked Santa for 20 chicks but got a goat, you'd be pretty disappointed, not to mention you can't even sell goats on eBay. In reality, each gift was requested by the communities so no matter where the money goes it will benefit the community as a whole, giving chickens to every person in town would do little if no good to a community, in a similar way to giving them all cows or goats.So if your thinking what to get someone, and feel it may become a tatty mistake, or are really busy and short for time, these gifts provide a one-stop shop for Christmas buying. You don't even have to leave the office to fight amongst 500 other people to end up with another lamp with incandescent bulb that doesn't fit in with their decor. All in all a feel good Christmas gift. Remember however goats are for life, not just for Christmas. And don't try to do a DIY version by sending 20 chicks Air Mail via Royal Mail to Sri Lanka, the postage is too high, and Royal Mail don't accept chicks (I've already checked), and of course it's just wrong.Don't forget if you are a UK tax payer you can Gift Aid your gift, so that means you can give an extra 5.6 chicks, 0.28 of a goat or 19.6 meals.Related ArticlesHow Much Extra Waste this Christmas?Picture: Recycle Your Christmas CardsChimney BalloonIs The Government Right to Scrap the One-Off Winter Fuel Payment?The Sky is the Limit to Find Uninsulated Homes
Since the early 90's, milkmen have struggled to remain competitive in the market against the convenience of 24/7 supermarkets with loss leading pricing tactics. This has inevitably saw a decline in the number of milkmen in the UK by over 10 000 in the last ten years, as more people turn to the supermarkets and existing clients (as they were often elderly) pass away. It's a tough life for milkmen rising as early as 2am, to go to the dairy to load their floats with the milk for the day. A job they love, but under the pressure from the supermarkets, one which pays a standard wage. Self-employed, to make a living they need to sell at least 500 gallons a week, they have little time off, even during bereavement and illness.But as people try to green their lives some are turning back to the milkman as a way of receiving their milk fresh and green daily (or we hope).The latest figures from WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme, suggest that the UK milk industry is responsible for 130,000 tonnes of plastic waste, every year. To put that into perspective this is the more than the amount of plastic that is required for the total annual use of plastic bags in the UK.Or ... 19 066 667 600 bags ... to be precise is the milk industry equivalent.Plastic is a funny substance and can't really be recycled more than once, so there are limitations as to the amount of times it can be reused, and even more limitations on the types of products that they can replace, not to mention the way in which the plastic is collected, sorted and recycled. It takes 1.75 kilograms of petroleum (in terms of energy and raw materials) to make one kilogram of HDPE.Or ... 228 229 285 litres of petroleum ... enough to power a Peugeot 107 for 3.08 billion miles.Milkmen use cute clinky glass bottles (not all, best to ask first, avoid shock later), these can be reused twenty times before they need to be recycled. They also are virtually infinitely recyclable, although quality tends to degrade after the seventh time. The added advantage is the milkman collects the empty bottles on his next delivery, this allows the bottles to be effectively removed from all waste streams.Most milkmen in the UK travel on clean green electric milk floats which emit no CO2 emissions other than those from electricity generation, and the milk floats are exceptionally efficient in terms of energy used, compared to petrol or diesel vehicles. One manufacture of these vehicles is Smith, who have diversified into other electric powered commercial vehicles.We know know the packaging is greener and the distribution, but what about production, either way it is the same, but should we be consuming diary products at all? They are after-all renowned for the carbon intensive farming. The carbon footprint of 1 pint of milk is 596g of CO2.1.05g of CO2 / 1ml of MilkNow comes the real choice in what you consume and how it can affect your carbon footprint, organic milk uses three times less energy to produce because it doesn't require energy-intensive fertiliser. This should in effect reduce CO2 emissions by 55%, assuming 83% of CO2 is from production.0.47g of CO2 / 1ml of Organic Milk (estimated)So if you don't have a milkman already, it might be an idea to find one, I went in search, if you live in Northern Ireland, you can contact your local dairy, or visit Dale Farm. For the rest of the UK, you can try Find Me a Milkman or Deliver Milk.Whilst delivered milk is slightly more expensive, this added cost also means you will likely never run out of milk, it's fresh, it's delivered and when saying I'm just going to the supermarket for milk, you categorically spend twenty times that of what you intended to buy in the first place, half an hour in the store and another 15 minutes driving there and parking in the packed out supermarket, and it doesn't come in a cute clinky glass bottle.If you have a milkman I'd love to hear your comments and the price you pay for a pint of milk to debunk the ideas that milkmen charge exorbitant prices! I have faith.Related ArticlesCow $h*t Could Provide 3% of North America's Energy NeedsMilk Sludge Fertilising WillowKangaroo Meat Hunt
Dale Farm’s environmentally aware staff have come up with a novel solution for reducing the company’s carbon footprint – using sludge from the waste water treatment plant at Dunman to grow willows.Traditionally the sludge, which is a normal by-product of dairy processing, has been spread on farmland – where it acts as a valuable fertiliser. However, the Nitrates Directive has effectively reduced the amount of land that can be treated this way and other outlets had to be examined. After reviewing a range of possible options, it was decided that applying the sludge to Short Rotation Coppice Willow for producing renewable energy biomass, was an environmentally friendly solution that was also cost effective.The scheme, which is operated in partnership with Rural Generation Ltd, began on a trial basis in June. It uses bespoke machinery that injects the sludge below the surface of the ground in a willow plantation in the Cookstown area, relatively close to the Dunman factory.A permit had to be attained from the Environment and Heritage Service to allow the sludge to be used this way. The effluent has to be treated using a belt press, which increases the solid content to approximately 12% – which results in fewer transport movements and thus reduces the fuel and labour required.Willow production is a renewable and sustainable energy crop that is harvested and used to produce either heat or electricity. Harvesting is usually on a two yearly rotation when the willow is cut and chipped, and some local Councils are currently using willow as an alternative energy source for heating e.g. swimming pools.Willow production does not contribute to global warming – the only carbon dioxide released upon burning is that which was fixed from the air whilst the willow was growing, making it “carbon neutral” unlike other fuels such as coal and oil.The use of sludge as a soil conditioner and source of nitrogen on willow plantations is a good example of an environmentally sustainable, low carbon route for recycling an organic waste stream. It is well established in Europe and N America, but is still relatively new in N Ireland and Dale Farm is the first local company to investigate this opportunity.Related ArticlesCow $h*t Could Provide 3% of North America's Energy NeedsShould we Be Eating Kangaroo?Investing in Cows Reaps Cheesey Rewards
Just a reminder to those that already know, and those that don't that this weekend will see the second annual LifestyleGreen Show. It will be taking place at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust centre, Castle Espie, on the shores of Strandford Lough, near Comber.The event will showcase all aspects of a greener lifestyle with everything from solar power to organic food, fashion to recycling and health to education, as well as live music, stilt walkers, clowns, craft-making, all at the home of Ireland's largest collection of geese and ducks.On site car parking is £3, however, free parking and bus transfer is available from Comber Square to Castle Espie, provided by Translink. Those travelling by bike to the event can also avail of a reduced entrance fee. Adult tickets are priced at £5.95, Concessions £4.50, and children £2.95.Related ArticlesSexy Green Car ShowLifestyle Green 2008 Officially LaunchedBelfast City Waste Fair
Kids and adults alike often leave lights on at night, I know I have on many occasions left lights on when I shouldn't, even with CFL bulbs, they still use a tiny bit of energy. However an alternative to this problem is a Light Emitting Diode based night light. LED bulbs are the technology to supersede CFL bulbs, as they last over ten times longer and use as little as a twentieth of energy CFLs use, the only drawback is currently cost and fittings. However they are getting cheaper every single day.On my visit to IKEA the other day I picked up two night lights, the first an Osram LED plug-in night light which at 0.4W, uses just over 4% of the energy required for a 9W CFL bulb, this is perfect for in the hallway to illuminate it at night. Only £3 with the IKEA Family Card.The other is a child's portable nightlight called Spoka, design by Bodrul Khalique which makes use of rechargeable batteries and LEDs, priced at £8. You push the head to switch on the light, it's exceptionally red glow does provide reasonable light (if not "makes it look like a window in Amsterdam", my mother's comment, then asks can she have one) and of course you can carry it with you round the house. I have noticed that since using it oppose to normal lights has improved my sleeping pattern, dramatically. A cute alternative to a lamp.And ... Don't forget just take your old IKEA electronics back to store to be recycled.Related ArticlesSupport the Woodland Trust with the Swipe of a CardThe CFL Mercury MythsMercury in CFLs in Context
Under the new initative the UN's New York headquarters will get hotter in an attempt to make the world cooler. For all of August the UN building's thermostats will rise from their usual chilly 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Centigrade) up to 77 degrees (25 degrees Centigrade).The main UN premises in Bangkok, which houses over a dozen of the Organization's entities, joined the Secretariat today in rolling out the “Cool UN” scheme.“Cool UN” is just one of several schemes United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is involved in to slash energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Since 2002, it has cut back electricity consumption by 16 per cent yearly by replacing old and inefficient appliances such as power transformers, elevators, air conditioners, lights and pumps.ESCAP's service also has pilot solar panels and wind turbines, and water usage has been reduced by 30 per cent every year through new higher-efficiency water closets and using recycled water for the main gardens.It is expected the programme will reduce CO2 emissions by 300 tonnes and $100,000 this month, with annual savings of 3000 tonnes and $1m, the initative will be implemented all year round.
Lisburn City officially opened their new world class £2.5m bus station on the corner of Hillsborough Road and Smithfield Street, adjacent to the Lisburn Square on 30 June. Whilst I have procrastinated in visiting, I did today and took a few snaps of the building which will serve 71 000 people who live in the city centre, and the countless visitors that will travel in from surrounding towns to visit.The building provides excellent facilities, with full disabled access across the building, a huge improvement to the bus shelters available across the street before the building opened.The building includes some sustainable building processes including solar skylights, which create a light and spacious feel throughout the building. A solar thermal heating system which provides hot water all year round for heating the building and also the toilet facilities. There is also a covered bike shelter for cyclists to park and ride, covered by CCTV.Hopefully the facility will encourage more people to make use of buses to commute and for leisure purposes, the centre also provides information, and for a first time bus user the information screens detailing the destination of each bus and where it will be located (ie stand number) and its current status (ie on time). I was quite shocked on my first visit to see a steady stream of human traffic using the new centre, a very positive first look!
Eco-Tube recently launched itself to the world, in a nutshell its YouTube for the EcoAware. Chris Smith who created and launched the site had this to say;"I have just launched Eco-tube, the green youtube. This came about directly as a result of doing a Masters Degree (MSC) in Ethics & Business Responsibility at Bath University. I was introduced by coincidence to a local businessman in Bath who also happened to be an eco philanthropist.Now the site is up and running I am now appearing in my own films which is quite a revelation to me. I never before had an urge to appear on camera and it came about by accident when I filmed an eco audit at a celebrities home. People on the MSC watched the film and said they thought it was good enough to be on television. So as well as curating the website I am also appearing in my own films.My recent film is Plastic Bag the Movie.That aside we have films covering every eco related subject, Obama on climate change, energy saving deals, recycling videos etc."Eco-Tube is a new venture which looks to provide a one-stop shop for environmental films and video clips. This enables the user to access the clips, and possibly more specific videos than rival sites. The clips are relevant to the search you intended. In the near future look out for embedded EcoTube clips on the blog.
After the purchase of my bicycle a few months ago, with the weather picking up, and myself into a normal sleep routine, I now bike to work every morning, and home every afternoon. As yet I have not been arrested for furious cycling or blatant abuses of the highway code just yet, I try to remain as legal as possible.The bike ride is one of the fun parts of my day, and now I am completing the task in less than five minutes in the morning, faster than driving and a third of the time taken to walk. Each day saving about 400g CO2 from the environment, (really I should have converted much sooner).Other friends have also now bought bikes, and with the recent rise in oil prices to a record $135 a barrel, and analyst expectations that will continue to rise to $200 in the next 18 months, petrol prices are surely going to remain constant or rise considerably for the foreseeable future. This morning I had the pleasure to meet a manager at the local independent bike shop in work, and from his comments, bike sales are on the up, however based on seasonality and natural increases in prices across the board he is unable to give a detailed increase figure.Now signals the time to either reduce your fuel consumption, through better driving technique, car sharing, park & ride schemes, public transport, alternative cars or converting to bike.
Here's a few ideas.
Better Driving TechniqueAlready on this blog we have published ten tips that could save you £120 (probably about £200 a year now, in our article, Drive Efficiency ... Drive Efficiently.Car SharingIf you drive to work from the same location as other from your work, or would like to start car sharing with randomers.National Carsharing NetworkLift ShareTravel Wise Northern IrelandThese links can give you advice on car sharing.Park & Ride SchemesThese are schemes where you drive to a point and make use of public transport for the remainder of the journey. These often operate from locations outside major cities. A flat rate fee offers a return bus / train service and parking, and could work out substantially cheaper than parking in the city centre. Often services offer bus / trains every ten minutes to ensure the service is easy, frequent and feasible for the majority. More info on specific schemes can be found at Park & Ride. However this is not a definitive guide.
With the recent price rises from Npower and other suppliers likely to follow suit, a large number of people throughout the UK now falls into being in fuel poverty. The Energy Retail Association estimates there was 4m people in this category in 2006 with a further 3m classified as vunerable, and this has been increasing year on year from 2000.You may ask how to calculate if your household is in fuel poverty, the equation below we hope clearly shows how to calculate if you are in fuel poverty.Fuel Poverty Ratio = ((Unit Fuel Price x Fuel Consumption) + Standing Charge) / IncomeYou should take all fuels into consideration (Gas, Electricity, LPG and solid fuels). Income is considered before tax and national insurance. For more information on how fuel poverty is calculated there is this very detailed document (PDF). Households are considered to be fuel poor if they spend over 10% of their income on fuel.There is a range of assistance for those even not in fuel poverty, below is organisations and schemes that could help you alieviate the burden of fuel bills through benefits and grants;
Benefits
Winter Fuel PaymentsIf you are aged 60 to 79 and you are entitled to receive a Winter Fuel Payment, you will get either £100 or £200, depending on your circumstances in the qualifying week. If you are aged 80 or over and you are entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment, you will get an extra £50 or £100, so you could get up to £300, depending on your circumstances in the qualifying week. You do not pay tax on Winter Fuel Payments.For more information please visit the Pension Service: Winter Payment Website.Cold Weather PaymentA Cold Weather Payment is paid automatically when the average temperature is, or is forecast to be, 0 degrees centigrade or below over seven consecutive days. To qualify you must satisfy the criteria for receipt. The Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office will advertise when a payment is applicable.To receive a cold weather payment you must be receiving Pension Credit / Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) for one day in the period of cold weather and be receiving one of the following premiums: - Pensioner Premium
- Enhanced Pensioner Premium
- Higher Pensioner Premium
- Disability Premium
- Severe Disability Premium
- Disabled Child Premium
- or have a child under the age of 5
£8.50 when the average temperature where you live is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below, over seven consecutive days during the period from 1 November to 31 March. Specified Meteorological Office weather stations are used to obtain this information.More information can be found at DirectGovGrantsWarm Front (England)Warm Front provides grants of up to £2,700 for heating and insulation measures in low income and other vulnerable households. The maximum grant for an oil central heating system is £4,000. Grants are available to owner occupiers and people who rent their homes from a private landlord. To qualify householders must: - be in receipt of designated income related benefit or tax credit and have a child under 16, or
- be in receipt of a designated disability related benefit or Disabled Person's Tax Credit, or
- be aged 60 years or over and in receipt of an income related benefit.
Grants are also available to women who are in receipt of a maternity certificate (MATB 1) as well as a designated income related benefit (or their spouses).The national telephone number for Warm Front in England is Freephone 0800 952 0600Recent changes include: - Central heating measures are available for all eligible clients (not just over 60's).
- Eligible customers not connected to mains gas may qualify for oil central heating.
- Clients who have previously received a grant from the Warm Front programme can re-apply to the Scheme Manager. However, they will not receive the same measure again. They will have a new balance, minus the value of all works previously completed under Warm Front.
For further information contact the designated Scheme Manager:Eaga for enquiries from the West Midlands, South West, London, South East, North West and North East: Freephone 0800 316 6011 or Freephone Minicom 0800 072 0156.Warm Deal (Scotland)The Warm Deal in Scotland provides grants of up to £500 for energy efficiency measures and energy advice for those in receipt of one of a range of benefits. A lower level of grant can be claimed by householders aged 60 and over who do not receive these benefits. For more details visit the Scottish Executive or Scottish GasThere is also the Central Heating Programme, which provides a central heating system, insulation measures, energy advice and an optional benefits check to people aged 60 and over and to tenants of local authorities and housing associations. Claimants must live in a home without central heating or where the existing system is broken and beyond repair.
The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (Wales)HEES in Wales provides grants of up to £1,500 for energy efficiency measures and energy advice for those in receipt of one of a range of benefits who have a child under 16.HEES Plus offers grants of up to £2,700 for heating and insulation improvements to householders who are 60 or over and to lone parents with a child under the age of 16. In both cases claimants must be in receipt of one of a range of benefits. A lower level of grant can be claimed by householders aged 60 and over who do not receive a qualifying benefit. For more details contact HEES Wales: Freephone 0800 316 2815 or Freephone Minicom 0800 072 0156.
The Warm Homes Scheme (Northern Ireland)The Warm Homes Scheme offers grants of up to £850 for insulation and heating improvements for owner occupiers and those who rent their homes from a private landlord. Claimants must receive one of a range of benefit payments and have a child under 16.The Warm Homes Plus Scheme offers grants of up to £4,300 for an enhanced package of heating and insulation measures, including central heating. Claimants must be aged 60 and over and be owner occupiers or tenants of a private landlord. For further information contact Eaga Partnership: Freephone 0800 181 667 or Minicom 019 1233 1054Energy Saving TrustThere is financial help available if you're planning to make energy saving improvements to your home. The Government, energy suppliers and local authorities all provide grants to help you implement energy saving measures in your home. To search for grants visit their grants finder or you can call them on 0800 512 012. There is also information on simple energy saving tips which could save you several hundred pounds annuallyLocal CouncilsYour local council may also offer assistance, as this varies across each council area, you should contact your local council for more information and advice on the help they offer. To find your local council contact details visit DirectGovAdvice Service
Citizens Advice Bureaux
In 2005-2006 Citizens Advice Bureaux in England, Wales and Northern Ireland received 27,000 general enquiries about problems with fuel plus 45,000 enquiries about fuel debt. Following the prolonged series of fuel price rises we are beginning to receive evidence of CAB clients struggling to pay their bills. They can help you too, you just need to ask for advice.
There is also information on how to reduce your energy bills on the following blog posts;
Is it Time to Switch Energy Providers?
Winter Warming Tips10 Things to Reduce Energy UseCavity Wall Insulation GrantsGeneral Energy Saving Tips
Npower has just announced double digit rises in fuel costs for their electricity and gas customers. Below is a Q&A on should you switch.
Should I look to change providers? Not necessarily. Before the price rises, Npower was seen as one of the cheaper providers. The independent watchdog Energywatch has said that, given other firms are likely to also raise their prices, it may be worth waiting to see what Npower's competitors do. If you switch to a cheaper supplier today, you may well find that they too put up their prices, as all of the companies have to buy gas in exactly the same international market. So switching is a waste of time then? Not quite. The argument goes that savings can still be made, especially if you have never switched before and are still with either British Gas or the company that took over from your regional electricity board. In those cases, you are likely to be on their highest tariff. So you may still be able to achieve a significant relative cut in your bills. How common is energy switching? The full figures for 2007 are not yet available, but in 2006 about 4 million households changed their gas or electricity supplier, according to the energy regulator Ofgem. In April 2006, when wholesale energy prices were last at very high levels, and price increases were starting to bite, a record 900,000 customers changed supplier. However about 50% of UK households have never taken the opportunity to switch their provider and it is these people who are likely to have the best opportunity to make hefty savings. How do you switch energy companies?In theory, it is relatively easy to switch your energy supplier - and should certainly be less arduous than changing, say, a mortgage provider. Regardless of where you live in the UK, there are several suppliers to choose from. You can opt to have separate firms supplying your gas and electricity - or choose one company to supply both, commonly known as dual fuel. The most common and effective way is to firstly identify the company which can offer the cheapest deal is to use a price comparison service. Energywatch has approved 13 companies providing price comparison services both via the internet and on the telephone. These are;Most of these companies will deal with your new supplier on your behalf, and also contact your old supplier to organise the switch. It does not cost the consumer anything - with the firms receiving a payment from the energy company which has won the new business. However if you would rather go it alone, you can talk with the firm you want to be your new supplier and agree a contract. Then you tell your existing provider that you wish to end the service - usually having to give about one month's notice. What if I use a pre-payment meter? You too can also change suppliers. People using pre-payment are often on low fixed incomes and could really benefit from moving to a less expensive provider, Energywatch says. But despite this, industry figures suggest that just over a third of pre-payment gas users and four out of 10 electricity customers have changed supplier. This compares with more than half of those who pay by direct debit and monthly bills. How much can I save by switching This depends on how much you are currently paying and on your personal circumstances - for example where you live and your level of usage. Firms often offer discounts if you buy both gas and electricity from them. But the industry regulator Ofgem has said that households changing their supplier for the first time can save an average of £100 per year. Besides switching supplier, how else can I reduce my energy bills? Changing your method of payment is one way that you may be able to save money. If you can afford to pay by direct debit rather than by cash or cheque, this typically can knock about £40 off your annual bill. But you should regularly send meter readings to your energy company to ensure that they are taking the right amount of money each month. The other key thing to think about is reducing the amount of energy you use, for more advice please see the following blog posts.Winter Warming Tips10 Things to Reduce Energy UseCavity Wall Insulation GrantsGeneral Energy Saving Tips
We are hoping to showcase individuals, businesses or projects with a green message or agenda on an ocassional basis in their own words, this is to get an insight into the aims and reasoning why they began greening the world in the first place.The first of these is the Green Providers Directory, a UK based online directory listing companies by specific category, and without the need to publish a big 2.5" thick paper directory. Dr Gary Robertshaw is the project director and continues for us;"There are many ‘green’ sites that discuss the problems of environmental damage and climate change. However, it seemed to me that they were largely passive in nature and failed to engage mainstream consumers, which is needed to facilitate change on a larger scale and not just stimulate debate amongst core eco-consumers.As a long time green campaigner I therefore decided to set up The Green Providers Directory to encourage more consumers to use environmentally friendly, ethical and organic goods and services. The premise of the directory is based on consumer power. That is, if large numbers of consumers can be educated and convinced of the dangers of climate change, then their combined demand for greener goods and services will cause a paradigm shift in buying behaviour and force more companies to adopt policies that reduce harm to the environmentEach company listed in The Green Providers Directory has been vetted against their stated ethical policy. We routinely reject applications because they fail to meet our criteria and we have also been keen to avoid associations with 'pseudo-green' national corporations who are using the growing concern to jump on the green bandwagon, whilst continuing to pursue non-sustainable business practices. To that effect, you will not find supermarkets, car makers, tobacco companies, etc...anywhere in the directory. As The Green Providers Directory is privately owned and not-for-profit there is no requirement to affiliate with any particular company - it's completely unbiased and independent.The basic concept is that visitors to the site can be confident in finding true green companies for all their everyday needs. The advice given is impartial and there is no active selling. This gives the site a point of differentiation from other 'green' directories and instills greater credibility."The Green Providers Directory has certainly built up a good following, listed in The Guardian's environmental section and on green.tv, the United Nations Environmental Programme and members of Ethical Junction. If you are looking to buy green start here.
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It's a huge powerful machine, with a blue-ray disc player, but just how much of the national grid is this chunk of machine pulling.
