Eco Friendly House And Garden

Some simple tricks can stop your heating bill spiralling out of control and wasting all that energy!

Remember visiting you grandparents house and there were a few things that you didn’t have at home that you thought were funny.  Well some of them were totally eco friendly and we never took them on board.

Nans had these funny things as there wasn’t such a thing as central heating, so all of these were used simply to keep warm and stop cold draughts blowing aroundthe house.

Now of course, they can save energy, money and the environment too - so maybe I can take you on a walk around my nans house and see what you can do today.

Plastic Sheets: 18% of heat is lost through your windows.
In the colder rooms that weren’t used so often had tight plastic sheets taped over them on the inside.  Double glazing was unheard of so putting in your own secondary ‘glazing’ was the way to go.

If you didn’t want to open the windows through the winter, then why not seal them up for the colder months.  These days of course you can buy actual double glazing, retro-fit secondary glazing - or even buy an eco friendly equivalent of the old plastic sheeting called Eco Glaze which is acrylic sheets that are attached to your window with magnetic strips so you can put them on or take them off when you want!

Maybe even consider triple glazing in bad areas or just the leakiest window!

Giant Velvet Curtain: 15% of heat is lost through doors.
My nan had the most amazing thick red curtain on the back of the front door.  It was on a great big rail and it was more than twice as wide as the door and at least a foot too long - great for hiding behind!

By making sure that there was more than enough curtain to block any breezes made it all the more worth having.  I mean if you are fitting a curtain in the first place, it’s a bit pointless if it is too short or too thin.  Spend the extra pennies and get it right first time.

Maybe consider fitting a simple porch to buffer the outside and inside spaces.

Long Tube Of Socks:
Along the bottom of the lounge door when we were all sitting inside was a handmade tube of old socks and rags.  I suppose it could be made into a comedy sausage dog if you sewed ears on!

It was the perfect way to stop draughts coming under the door when you were heating just the one room.  Just like today - when you have the log burner on the go in the one room, keep all the heat in there too.  Modern equivalents can be plates you screw on to the bottom of you door with a furry edge - but I quite like the idea of making my own sausage dog!

Over-Patterned Rugs:  8% of heat is lost through floors.
Now, you don’t have to go an buy a bright swirly rug or a heavily-pattered dark red rug to stop cold air coming through your floorboards!

These days you can fill the gaps on old floorboards with man-made natural fillers, buy nice plain rugs in all sizes, or fit carpets with thick underlay to make sure that your home stays warm!

Maybe consider fitting underfloor heating if you are having other work done in your home.  This is a much more efficient way to heat your home than traditional central heating and means you can put your furniture where you want it rather than having to fit it around huge radiators…….. 

So, go round to your great aunts house or your friends nans and check out their energy and money saving tips!

photo credit: comedy_nose

If you live in what is called a ‘hard water’ area, you may consider changing to ’soft’.

Now it’s not like you can change the bedrock of your house, so it would mean fitting a water softener to your existing water pipes to make the change.

But why would you go to that trouble and expense if you didn’t really have to - I mean the water still runs like normal, is clean to drink and washes dishes etc?

But there is a massive difference between the 2 types of water - and the soft water option can help you to live a more eco-friendly life.

How Can It Really?
Well, hard water contains magnesium and calcium that it picks up from the rocks on it’s path from falling as rain until it reaches your tap.  And these minerals can cause some serious damage to your plumbing and smaller white goods in the kitchen - not to mention your boiler and washing machine!

This build up of minerals in the water is then transferred into your pipes as it sits there waiting to be used - and can reduce the amount of water getting into an appliance, and cause permanent damage to the pipes as well.  Replacing either is a squeeze on natural resources and a costly exercise to boot!

And, with the capacity for water flow reduced, this can sometimes cause the appliance or boiler to have to work harder to keep the same level of function - or use more energy but give a poorer performance!

Soft water doesn’t contain any of these minerals, so leaves your pipes clean and working at their best!

How Can I Tell The Difference?
It isn’t immediately obvious which water you have got based on watching your boiler or feeling your clean clothes - but just using the water from your tap will show which water you have.

These minerals show themselves in water residue in the form of ‘lime scale’, so if you have a white patchy deposit on your shower head, grey residue left on your glass shower curtain, blobs of white ‘chalky’ stuff in your kettle, the list goes on…..

Sound familiar?

Now think of all the chemicals, cloths, scourers and time you have to spend keeping your bathroom and kitchen clean - then think of all that chemical waste!

And, think about washing your hair, hands and body.  Washing in soft water creates a lather more readily using less toiletries - and gives a more thorough clean.  People say that washing in soft water makes their skin feel better and hair look shinier!

How Big Is A Water Softener?
They will easily fit under your kitchen sink in smaller flats, or anywhere in a larger home - even a garage will do.

Basically it works on the main water pipes going in to your home or offices and changes the composition of your water before it enters your home.

Most water softeners are easily fitted and will pay for themselves within around 5 years due to the better efficiency of your heating and hot water systems, as well as in the reduced reliance of cleaning chemicals and toiletries!

And your appliances will last longer and stay efficient throughout that lifespan - and don’t worry about your appliances if you have been using hard water - as the softened water running through will eventually clear all the existing limescale!

So, taking the minerals out of your water could save you a lot of time and money.

Planning to lose weight and give up smoking - 2 perfect eco friendly resolutions!

Every New Year there are thousands of people vowing to give up smoking and lose weight for the new year - so why not do it for real this time rather than just putting in a little bit of effort in front of the friends!

We know the reason we manage to eat a bit healthier in January is because we have eaten so much junk over the winter that we would rather not face another strawberry trifle or fried leftovers! 

And the symbolic start of the new year makes us decide that it’s a good time to be a bit healthier - but when you go back to work and the month end bills start to come through after the longest month of the year - it virtually always has 5 Fridays - you are stressed enough to just keep on smoking!

So why not make these 2 count seriously towards your new eco friendly lifestyle for 2010.

Losing Weight:
This has 2 sides to it’s eco benefit; eating less and exercising more, so lets look at these in detail.

Eating Less - we all know that we buy, cook and eat much more food than we need - and much of the food isn’t nutritious enough to make a difference.  So by restricting your meal size and number of meals, you can reduce the pressure on farmers and local stores to grow so much in the first place.

The food has to be grown and transported to the stores too which uses valuable energy and petrol or gas as well.  In a larger scale example the advantages become clear: if the average person buys 20 sprouts from the store, and a lorry from the farm can only fit in 1000 sprouts in it’s hopper - that means one journey feeds 50 families. 

But what if each of your 3 dinner guests only really eats 5 sprouts each and you throw the leftover 5 away?  That means that that lorry carried 250 sprouts for nothing.  And if people only brought what they actually ate - that original lorry could have fed nearly 67 families (17 more than before).

And who says we should be eating until we are stuffed anyway?  Buy less, eat less, waste less.

Exercising More- Clearly, if you are exercising more then you may well be walking or cycling a lot more than before - both of which have massive eco benefits.

By spending more time out of your car, you are saving on fuel and emissions - but you are also making your local area richer.  If you visit local parks and other amenities you are making them worth keeping and maintaining - and you could become involved in local projects.

And by taking a bit longer to get somewhere or exploring somewhere in closer detail you could become a bit more knowledgeable of local species and habitats - and even see places, buildings or wildlife that you haven’t seen before (as you fly at 50 mph down the link road!).

Also, more exercise will make you a healthier person, delaying the signs of aging and reducing your need for routine medications and treatments - all saving you and the community money and energy.  Which leads us on to the other resolution….

Stop Smoking:
Not only is smoking bad for your health on it’s own, it is also bad for your health in terms of the reduction in exercise your may well be having due to being so out of breath.  It has been scientifically proved that smoking causes lung damage - and your lungs are what helps you to be active and exercise more.

However, buying you cigarettes is a never-ending job.  Unless you are a very light smoker or stretch out your roll-ups beyond the meanest student - you will be having to visit a store several times a week.  Smokers never seem to buy them in bulk, they go back and forth all the time, just buying another 20. and I bet the don’t always walk there?

The packaging, the transport, the ingredients - all bad for the environment and your body.  So make an appointment with a hypnotist and get over it!

There are many other ways to help improve your eco friendly lifestyle - so maybe instead of New Year resolutions - have New Month resolutions where you can improve your lifestyle throughout the year!

It’s not always easy to pick a company to renovate your home that you can trust.

When you are thinking of changes to your home, you need to make sure that the company you choose will work closely with you on your designs, will respond to any changes you have along the way and of course they must offer the standard of work that you are hoping for.

If you are making eco friendly or even innovative changes to your home, then you really need to select a company that have many experience but also a company that other people have used and approved.

If you have certain requirements for your extension or re-fit, then you need to be able to trust your building company to carry out these wishes - for example sourcing materials that you specifically request - or offering better alternatives for the job that you hadn’t thought of!

One Such Firm:
There is a building firm in Australia that offer just this service for their customers.  These Sydney home builders show you exactly what they offer on their website - and have some great images of their past work for you to get ideas from.

They work very closely to match the requirements of their customers and make sure the finished product is better than their expectations!

The most important page is the aptly named ‘Word of Mouth’ section, easily reached from the home page.  Here there are testimonials from previous customers which really speak for themselves.

They aren’t a selection of 1-liners taken out of context and wrapped up in all fancy boxes - they are long and descriptive testimonials about how much they want to thank this company: Heddons, for the level of service and the finished product.  You can’t get better than that……

…….apart from the fact that these customers have also agreed to speak to anyone considering using this company for their first floor addition, in the Lower North Shore or their bathroom renovation, Mosman!

They also have a page dedicated to their project architects - it’s not just left ot the builders, it’s all overseen by certified professionals - so you don’t have to worry about finding one yourself.  There is a list on the website for you to choose from that they have preciously worked with. 

This ensures that work gets started fast and efficiently, as these 2 parts of the renovation team know how each other work through their past experience - so it cuts out all the paperwork and shortens the whole process for you - leaving you to think about what you want in your home, rather than who you want to do it!

The End Result:
When you decide to take on a large project for your home, you want to get the results you expected - and the only way to achieve this is to be able to communicate with your builder and for them to respect your choices.

From suppliers, to staffing, to materials and machinery - even through to the disposal of building waste - you can make sure these are all to your standards and that your new home doesn’t have a negative impact on others.

You can always get a cheaper price if you cold call local builders, or search online for: Home Builder Sydney (or wherever you live) - but you take the risk.

Trust your friends.  You can’t get a better service than from a recommended source!

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I recently went into a new pet store and found a massive ’exotics’ department - fully heated and lit up!

Now I have nothing against insects, spiders, lizards, frogs and snakes, but if they are not endemic to your home country - you need an awful amount of electrical equipment to keep them ‘comfortable’.

For example, a basic exotic pet tank (lizards, terrapins and snakes) would need a heat pad on virtually all the time to replicate the temperature of their home country; lighting to replicate the natural sunlight; a hygrometer to monitor the humidity; and possibly even a water pump for water loving species.  All powered by your electricity supply.

Compare that to a rabbit which needs none of those things listed above at all - and even eats your left over fruit and veg for you!

Should we be thinking about how much energy our pets take to keep alive?  Or should we just compare them a new gadget or some great new clothes - can we treat them as a personal choice?

The Dilemma:
I know that everyone has different tastes and that there are many people out there who loves exotic species, but should we reduce the availability of these to consumers who just want to ‘try one out’.  Those people who think a snake would be great, buy all the stuff, and then lose interest after a few months.

That snake could have been wild caught, or bred abroad and imported by plane.  The transportation needs to be monitored for all the things listed above essential to the survival of each specific species - and then it needs to be kept in these same ideal conditions until their sale.  This would explain the huge section in this pet store filled with exotics - with added light bulbs and heaters!

If there was less demand for these animals as pets, they would be less of a drain on resources.  I know that the pet store and the pet owner are prepared to pay for that energy, but should your country be creating all this energy to keep your homes warm and your transport network running, only for it to be used to keep a tiny spider warm?

Also, if your pet is from another country, then it’s quite possible that their food supply is too.  Most exotics that need heating are carnivorous - so you will need to feed them either live insects and other bugs (which also have to be kept warm before feeding), or frozen birds and rodents (which obviously need to be ‘cooked’ before feeding).

I suppose you could liken keeping an exotic pet to buying exotic fruit from overseas. 

But, shouldn’t you be buying local instead?

In our new digital world, we can buy anything online - so why not make your home one of them?

If you are planning to move to a new home - either to rent or buy - then do all the groundwork from the comfort of your own home rather than out in the cold or in traffic!

We are quite happy to choose clothes and toys over the internet - so why not use that same tool to narrow down your property search - and save paper and petrol!

Why Online?
Well, we know that most estate agents create a printed sheet for each property detailing the size of the rooms and having at least 1 picture - as well as their logo and all their other sales and legal pitch - but what a waste when you compare it to what your computer can offer.

Firstly, you don’t need to print details that you don’t want, and estate agents don’t need to keep piles of sales literature in their filing cabinets - saving them money to spend on other services.

You can scan the properties online - and this means more pictures and even videos.  Rather than 1 simple picture of the outside of the house - which isn’t really of any use other than so you can find it when you drive past - you can see multiple images of each room, inside and outside, back and front.  Basically you can decide whether you like a place without a wasted journey to the property itself.

Save Your Time!
There is nothing worse than getting off work early to drive out of town to see a property to find that it is a complete mess inside, with totally the wrong layout for your needs.  Whereas, by looking online first you can narrow down you list of properties without leaving your own home!

You are free to view them at any time of day, and you don’t have to have the owners listening to what you say about their choice of decor either!

And, if you are the one selling your home - there is nothing worse than having to keep it uber tidy all the time incase someone wants to visit when you are out - only to find that they aren’t interested at all.  Needless visits to your home on your time just because they only had an external picture and a list of measurements to go by before arriving.

The agent is the key to a quick, efficient and time-saving sale.  So whether you are after Liverpool Lettings or York Estate Agents - check their credentials out first to see that they are going to do a good job for you.

Make It Easy On Yourself.
So whether you are in the market for a move or you are desperate to sell - make sure you choose your agent with care - helping to reduce the wasted viewings that don’t go anywhere - but take up your time!

1) Make sure that they take multiple images of all the important features and angles that buyers are looking for. 

2) Make sure that they offer a plan-o-gram of the property so potential buyers can get a feel of the layout before they arrive. 

3) Make sure that they have a great website that is easy to search on - try it out for yourself first to see if people will be able to find your home when it is on there.

4) Speak to the team to make sure that they are friendly, approachable and eager to promote properties that suit your needs rather than just what is on their books!

Following these simple rules can make sure that you find or sell your property as easily as possible, which is great news for everyone really!

With all this talk of climate change and preserving the rainforests - it’s time to get to grips with the facts!

And, to help you understand all the issues surrounding deforestation, climate change, CO2 emissions and what you can do to lessen the impact - the Princes Rainforests Project has produced a small, free, easy to read guide for everyone who is interested in learning more.

HRH The Prince of Wales heads up this booklet and it is supported by a host of other celebrities and ordinary people like you and me.

Why Care?
The Rainforests are a lifeline for our planet, not just for CO2 - although this can make a huge difference to the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.

The forests absorb and emit moisture that can help cause rainfall in other parts of the Americas - including the plains of North America and the grasses of South America - which in turn feed the world and it’s animals.

The animals and plants that have evolved to live in these areas are also dependant on the forests for their very lives.  Medicinal plants are key to our search for cures and treatments and we could be losing them before we even find them!  And key wildlife can support all the other creatures that live in these delicate ecosystems.

Also, people depend on these areas for their livelihoods and survival.  Generations of native indian tribes have survived in harmony with the rainforests and their way of life is being destroyed by our way of life.

Why Are We Destroying It?
Unfortunately cutting down trees is no longer just about the trees, it’s about what makes more money for the person using the land.

If, for example, a field of trees are worth nothing to anyone apart from the odd free fruit you can eat.  Cutting the trees down to sell for wood could make a decent profit - but using that land for growing simple crops for yourself could make even more money. 

Selling that cleared land for cattle ranching though could make you a hefty sum, and selling it to large scale farmers for soya beans could make a small fortune.

And can we blame them for doing it?  No, if that was your land - and you needed to feed your family - what wouldn’t you do the same?  Everyone needs money - and why not get the most money you can for the same thing - after all, it’s just a field.

Is There A Solution?
There are many ways we can slow or stop this destruction, but it’s not going to be easy.

People are going to have to make an effort to change things and that includes you as an individual checking a few things when you shop, or maybe even being pro-active. A few ideas found in the booklet are as below:

1) Pay to keep trees standing by supporting a charity - and your support doesn’t have to be with money - your time can be just as important.

2) Stop the demand for rainforest products - check your sources for wood, paper and toiletries.

3) Pay to visit that field of trees - if people pay to visit these rainforests while they are standing, they could be worth more than if they were farmed, remember it’s all about what makes the most money forthe people who live there!

4) Help get your voice heard by contacting the government to share your concerns, whether you do this alone or you associate yourself with a larger charity or organisation.

So, go to Rainforest SOS to get your guide and more information about getting your voice heard!

Posting something isn’t just about getting it totally wrapped up in paper - it’s about sending with love!

What I mean is, that the actual packaging and size of the packaging you use can have a huge environmental impact when sent through the post - and also the item you are posting could be better selected if you really want to save resources!

The Packaging:
Starting with the materials you choose for wrapping, it would make sense to avoid non-recyclable materials in the first place as they can only be thrown in the trash upon receipt.  And wrapping something up and then putting it inside an envelope or another layer or wrapping for posting seems to be just a waste of resources.

Bubble-wrap should be used inside the packaging rather than as part of the wrapping so that it can be re-used at the other end in both parts.  I mean, if you send a gift wrapped in a sheet of bubble wrap and then put inside a normal envelope or sheet or parcel wrap - then both parts can be put to use again by the recipient or the envelope recycled!  However, using an envelope with it’s own bubble-wrap concealed within cannot be recycled - only reused as a whole.

And, you don’t really want to use heavy packaging - like loads of sticky tape - as this will make your entire package heavier to post and therefore it will use more fuel and energy to move from your post box to the recipients!

The Size Of It:
Many, many, many people use the wrong sized packaging when posting an item.  It makes sense to find out the categories for your countries postal charges so that you can find out which is the most cost effective way to post it - and - the most energy-efficient way to post it.

Buying or using a larger-than-necessary envelope will take up more room in the postal system than a smaller one - creating more journeys for the postman and their fleet of trains and vans when added to all the other post going the same way. 

And in the UK, the rates charged for packages depends purely on the dimensions - so folding a pliable gift a certain way could save you a lot of money!

Anyone who sells things over the internet will know all about the best way to package something!  For example sending a ‘packet’ weighing up to 750g (1st class) is £2.65 - but sending a ‘large letter’ weighing the same (1st class) is only £1.77 - with just a few millimetres between them!

It’s worth knowing the small print if you have a lot of gifts to send! 

And why post items that the recipient can get for themselves - for example; toiletries and cosmetics.  Why send weighty bathroom goods through the post when they can buy them in their own stores?  Just use a paper voucher for that store - or make a personalized voucher telling them what you want them to buy with your money.

It’s still going to be the same gift - just from the store 10 minutes from their home rather than your store 500 kilometers away!  The items have already been driven across the country from the factory to the warehouse and then to your store - why get the postman to drive it somewhere else as well!!!!

The Gift Itself:
If you know you are posting something - then make sure you choose wisely.  Why send an item that is going to be costly to post in the first place?  And - are you going to pay the postal service to guarantee it arrives in one piece or more importantly credit you if the item is lost or damaged before it even arrives!

And, would it not be more eco friendly to have the item delivered directly to the person in the first place.  I find it quite funny that the wrapping of a gift is so important.  Some people have a gift delivered all the way to their home (at a cost) then wrap it themselves (at a further cost) then post it back out to the recipient (at even more cost!).

Why not just get it sent directly to the recipient in the first place - and have already told them to expect it and not to open it until you desire.

It’s still ‘wrapped up’ by the company - and it is still a gift from you?  This is even worth doing for overseas deliveries in some instances as the company your order from may well have overseas distribution sites that make posting items direct more cost and energy efficient!

Or better still - buy them an item that is virtual, so you don’t have to post anything!  Why not buy a ‘gift’ that helps others rather than clutters up our homes further, like charity gifts, memberships, or other good causes!

Make a difference with your money rather than making more things for landfill!

The RGS are hosting a fantastic EcoFair on the 5th and 6th of December in London.

They are bringing together some fantastic international eco friendly companies and charities to fill your day with excitement and fill your bags with great goodies!

Stalls include some of the old favourites like the RSPB selling wildlife gifts, memberships and information for your gardens and great days out and the CO-OP will be promoting their eco friendly and fair trade clothing ranges.

There are also products available from around the world, with alpaca clothing from Peru, ethical accessories from Nepal, hand-made silks from Cambodia and Luxury fabrics from India.

There are also creations from the UK, including recycled household goods, hand-made bespoke jewelry, fair trade organic babywear and luxurious oils and soaps.

There is also a free puppet show being performed at the show just after lunch time - called the Forest of Fables, and is performed using Japanese style puppets (made from recycled materials) to African music depicting well known Greek fables!

In addition, there is even a puppet making session beforehand - so your children can make their own recycled puppet like those from the show and learn how the show is put together - including a sneak preview at some of the songs - and they get to keep their puppet!

The whole show is free entry to all - with free fairtrade wine for all RGS members and guests - see the RGS website for more details……..

I know that net curtains are a bit old fashioned these days - but they protect what’s inside!

So, how about a modern alternative: Blinds.

In winter, an uncovered glass window is just asking to let heat escape 24 hours a day.  So why let it?  Here are some great benefits and tips for modern window coverings - and it’s not just about heat either, but we will start there:

1) Escaping Heat:
If your window isn’t protected from the inside, all the heat from your room is going to head for the outside.  Nature likes to keep everything equal, so if the nice warm air can get outside and mix with the colder air - it will, just like cordial mixing into the glass of water.

If you don’t give the warm air a chance to get cold - all the warm air will stay in your home and keep your fuel bills down.  Blinds and curtains are the equivalent of insulation in your roof: without them the heat just escapes!

Close your blinds as soon as it gets dark outside to trap most of the daytime heat inside.  

2) Letting In The Sun:
In summer it is quite the opposite!  You want all the sunshine you can to come in the windows - flooding your home with warmth.

A net curtain in the way could be a hindrance to this - so blinds are perfectly designed to roll completely out of the way - allowing you room to fill with the sun’s rays - and keep your home warm into the evening.

Use natures power when you can! (and it’s free!)

3) Security:
Closing your window blinds when it’s dark outside is also essential for good security.  Once you lights are on and it’s dark outside - everyone can see straight into your home - with all your electrical goodies on show.

Walking in the streets when it’s dark is a great opportunity for thieves to ‘case the joint’.  They can see everything you are doing - and more importantly - they will know when you are not in!

4) Privacy:
Linked to above, but for those people who have a window actually on the street front - you don’t want people looking in, but you don’t want to shut out the sunshine - so why not fit a half-blind at head height. 

Alternatively you can now order blinds that open from the top rather than the bottom.  Ideal for letting in the light without letting in the nosey parkers!

5) Conservation:
Sunlight and UV rays can damage precious materials and paintings over time, so sometimes you would want to block out the light when it is directly shining onto a certain piece of furniture or art work.

Net curtains won’t do the trick and full curtains will make the whole room pitch black - however blinds can be adjusted to cover only the articles you want to protect, letting the rest of the room stay in sunlight!

6) Style:
And finally - why should saving energy be boring?  It isn’t, you just have to look in the right places.

There are many suppliers of trendy, fashionable, traditional, plain, black-out, bamboo and wood blinds, either fitted into the frame for extra heat and light control, hanging loose - so you can still peak around them, or top opening for privacy.

So, maybe consider using blinds to save money, save energy, protect your property and look great!