Loxley House

Archive for December, 2009

Energy Saving Tip 4: The posibilites are endless

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Not an energy tip as such, but I found this on Vimeo and thought it was worth sharing

energy Let’s saving from Naji on Vimeo.

Energy Saving Tip 3: Save Money on Heating

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

During winter we spend a lot of money heating our homes. I’m not suggesting that we should all sit shivering huddled up in the corner of the room, but spending some time reviewing your heating could lead to some significant energy (and cost) savings.

Simply by turning your heater thermostat down by as little as 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10% – a potential reduction of somewhere in the region of £40 per year.

To make your house warmer, you can try some of these tips:

  • Only heat the rooms you are using. If the spare room is only used when you have people staying over, does the room need to be heated all of the time?
  • Open the doors on rooms which receive the most daily sunshine – this will help warm air circulate around the house.
  • Close your curtains and blinds as it gets dark – this will reduce the heat lost through the glass windows.
  • Keep furniture and large objects away from radiators – these objects will absorb and block the heat.
  • Avoid drying clothes on radiators.
  • Try to use draft excluders which will help to reduce heat loss around doors and windows. Inspect your window and doors – any seals that look old and cracked must be replaced. If windows and doors do not fit correctly then fix/call someone in order to fix them.

If you are still to cold – put a jumper on!

Energy Saving Tip 2: Computer Energy Consumption

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Do you realise the how much power your PC or laptop uses?

New computers & laptops consume less power

New computers & laptops consume less power

  • On average a standard desktop computer uses between 65 to 250 watts of power.
  • On average a typical computer moniitor will use between 60 to 120 watts of electricity (dependent on screen size).
  • A laptop will generally consume around 8 to 30 watts depending on the screen size and tasks performed.

There are lots of ways to reduce the power consumption of your computer:

  • Don’t use screen savers, set up your monitor to turn off when inactive for a long period of time. When activated, a screen saver will run the monitor at the full amount of power usage.
  • If you are still using an old CRT monitor switch to a newer flat screen LCD one. In addition to freeing up lots of room on your desk, you will also be making an energy saving between 40 to 60%/.
  • Set up your laptop or computer to sleep or standby after a long period of inactivity. It will only take a few moments to re-boot next time you sit down ready to use it.
  • When you are nipping out or leaving work, turn off your computer and monitors. Don’t leave the monitor on stand by, press the button and switch it off. If you have a networked printer in the office, do you ever switch it off?

Energy Saving Tip 1: Energy Saving Lightbulbs

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
low energy spiral bulb

low energy spiral bulb

I had to start with an obvious one…

Energy saving lightbulbs can last up to 10 times longer than an ordinary bulb. This means that over the lifetime of the bulb it could save you around £40! If you replace a high wattage incandescent bulb with an energy saver this saving could be increased further to around £65 over the bulbs lifetime!

Over recent years the technology behind energy efficient light bulbs has become much more advanced. Modern energy saving bulbs are up to 5 times brighter than a traditional light bulb, and with a 10 year life span there is less time spent tripping over in the dark looking for a torch too! Nowadays, dimmable energy efficient bulbs are also available in a wide range of shops too.

Energy efficient lighting can make your home or business greener and save money in the process.