With the depletion of the ozone layer, and the resulting global warming, our climate systems have been thrown into disarray, and the resulting chaos is having a drastic effect on our bills. My home has become a veritable homage to the eco warrior as I eagerly attempt to go greener than green in my small efforts to save our planet, while at the same time reducing some of our horrendous outgoings. Virtually nothing goes into the bin these days, recycling being the preferred modus operandi for all potentially usable things. My kids make jokes at me, referring to me as the Bag Lady, whatever that’s supposed to mean. My cupboards are stuffed to capacity with bags, empty egg cartons, old glass chutney and yoghurt jars, plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, and a hundred thousand old newspapers. All of the items in my little collection have a potential purpose, and anything that escapes scrutiny will meet its end in the green bin, or the compost heap.
The biggest problem associated with my voracious habit, is the question of space. I mean what am I really going to do with two hundred and thirty four tiny, glass jars? Helpful suggestions come in the guise of party decorations, candle-holders, and flowers vases; all very useful, but there is a limit. If they weren’t particularly nice looking, I would have sent them off to the bottle banks yonks ago, but they happen to have the most adorable mini milk churn shape. So I am optimistically certain that there is a brilliant future for them, and will continue to resist all hints from family members to have them banished. As for the egg cartons, they have now become the proud home to the army of little seedlings that will see that our family is well fed with organically grown, healthy and nourishing home-grown vegetables this year.
Efforts also are afoot to reduce the cost of energy bills such as heat and light. One of the easiest ways to do this is by increasing the lighting efficiency of your home. Energy saving light bulbs use 80% less energy than standard light bulbs, and can last up to twelve times longer, which in turn equates to a saving of nearly £10 per bulb per year. Add up the number of bulbs in your house that are used every day, and you will be surprised. For example, if you take an average three bedroom house, and allocate one light per room, that’s at the very least, six bulbs per year. That equates to a £60 annual saving.
We all know that we have more than one bulb per room: chandeliers, lamps, and led light bulbs are very popular these days. Energy saving light bulbs produce a much stronger and brighter light, so you will need lower wattage than normal. Installing dimmer switches to reduce the light intensity will create a more atmospheric setting as you wind down for the night and of course low energy light bulbs will help stop you dreaming about your next electricity bill!
