Christmas is round the corner and we’re getting into the festive spirit. The season for spoiling ourselves and each other can often create a lot of waste, but there are things that you can do to save the environment and money. Each week we will be counting down to the big day, sharing with you our top tips on how to have an eco friendly Christmas. We’ll be showing you how to prepare your home, buy the perfect present for the eco warrior in your family and even have an eco friendly Christmas day.
This week we’re looking at how to prepare your home. Winter is the worst time of year for wasting energy, especially around Christmas, so we’ve pulled together some great tips on how to keep your home feeling festive while saving the environment.
Electricity
With the darker nights you’ll be switching on your lamps on earlier and also turning on your Christmas lights. If you find that you have a habit of leaving them on then it would be a good idea to invest in plug timers. By setting an on and off time, you no longer have to worry about leaving your lights on or devices on standby.
Batteries
Christmas is a time when you know you’ll need more batteries than you can store. Rather than buying lots of batteries, invest in a rechargeable battery pack. They charge quickly and are the perfect solution when your child’s toy runs out of juice, especially when its 6am and there aren’t any shops open!
Heating
If you have central heating why not use a radiator booster? Hot air rises, which means it only heats your room on its way down from the ceiling. By placing a booster on top of your radiator you can distribute the warm air into your room quicker, meaning you can turn the temperature down, save energy and money. It costs approximately 50p a year to run and could save you around £140 a year (Energy Saving Trust).
Christmas Lighting
Being eco-friendly doesn’t mean you can’t have your Christmas lights! If you want to light up the outside of your house, why not buy solar fairy lights? Learn more about the innovative uses of solar energy to power your decorations sustainably. And if you are looking for lights for your tree, make sure they are plugged into a plug timer. If they are battery-powered, then make sure you are using rechargeable batteries!
There are lots of other things that you can do to ensure that your home is being as efficient as possible during the festive period. Why not invest in some draft excluders, insulate your home, arrange a boiler service, buy some energy efficient light bulbs, insulate your widows or buy energy efficient appliances? No matter how big or small, any change you make WILL make a difference.
Lights image by Philip Pena
