How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint and Cut Your Energy Bills

July 21, 2010

There are many ways you could save power and water in your home, so cutting your energy bills and reducing your carbon footprint.

Wind Energy

Modern wind turbines run quietly and are easy to install and connect to your electricity system. They are simple systems that use a generator to create electricity by converting the energy produced when the blades of the turbine turn and rotate a shaft.

Solar Power

You don't need to live in a very hot or sunny climate to take advantage of solar power. There are a number of different types of solar panel technology that can be used to heat your water or convert solar energy to electricity.

Water Conservation

Harvesting rainwater. By collecting rainwater in tanks connected to your plumbing system, you can significantly reduce the amount of treated mains water wasted on flushing toilets, washing clothes or watering plants.

Water recycling. Bath and shower water can be recycled and used to flush your toilets. Recycling units are relatively easy to install and connect to your plumbing system.

Water saving habits and products. There are many water saving solutions on the market today such as faucets and showers that reduce the amount of water used, low-volume baths, and toilets that use less water per flush. Lifestyle habits such as turning off the water while brushing your teeth or washing dishes, fixing dripping taps or leaking faucets, and taking shorter showers can also save a lot of water and take some pressure of water resources and the energy resources needed to treat water.

Heating

Underfloor heating. There are two forms of underfloor heating: hydronic, which is a bit like having regular central heating in pipes under the floor instead of within radiators on the walls; and electric, which provides heat through electrically powered pads under the floor. Underfloor heating creates a comfortable, even heat across the whole area of a room, which reduces the amount of heat lost through our bodies and can significantly decrease the amount of energy required to heat a room.

High efficiency or condensing furnaces recover and use heat that would be lost by standard furnaces, making them much more energy-efficient.

Biomass furnaces. Heat for central heating and hot water is produced by burning sustainable fuels such as wood pellets, wood chip or cereals in a biomass furnace as an alternative to burning fossil fuels or using electricity.

By making small changes to your way of living, and installing eco-friendly technologies wherever practical, you can play your part in cutting CO2 emissions and see the benefit in your utility bills.

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