How to save energy

Recently I received a fairly shocking electricity bill, which has prompted a sudden interest in energy saving. Its funny how often the most efficient way of making a man listen is through his wallet.

The main thing to remember about energy saving is that it isn't actually difficult; the challenge comes in identifying how you can best achieve savings and then working out how to implement them. Pretty much all the advice you'll ever receive when it comes to energy saving is common sense but that said there are some things that you simply wouldn't usually think of unless they're suggested.

In the report entitled 'The Ampere Strikes Back' released recently by the Energy Saving Trust, it was suggested that by the year 2020 a massive 45% of all household electricty will be used by home entertainment and computer technology. This means that 14 plug sockets per household in the UK will taken up by unnecessary gadgets alone. Looking around my lounge now almost everything is on standby mode as most appliances don't have an off button. Even in standby mode most appliances do still use a large amount of power some freeview boxes for example use just as much energy in standby mode as when they're fully powered up and forgetting to turn them off at the plug is an understandable oversight.

The Energy Saving Trust's website www.energysavingtrust.org.uk offers help and advice on how to reduce your carbon footprint and as a result your energy bills. The site is split into different categories coving all the basic stuff you should know about climate change and how to prevent it, such as:Explaining what climate change is and how man is negatively contributing to it, and also what's being done to reverse the trend.

' Your impact on climate change - This section explains what climate change is, the part humanity is playing and what's currently being done to help reverse the trend.

' What can I do today - Covers the basics of what you can do right now in order to reduce the amount of energy you use. You are invited to answer a short questionnaire which will establish the most effective ways for your household to save money.

' Energy Saving Products - You'll find details here on buying an appliance which will minimise your energy use here. From checking out the energy rating of your washing machine to choosing a new lightbulb,This section will help you identify what modifications you could make to your house, the potential savings and will give details of any grants you may be eligible for. The way that your home has been constructed makes a huge difference to its energy efficiency and with a few minor modifications you can heat your house for less energy, costing you less and saving the planet in the process.

' Home Improvements - The way that your home has been constructed makes a huge difference to its energy efficiency. This section will help you identify what modifications you could make to your house, the potential savings and will give details of any grants you may be eligible for.

' Generate your own energy - This section discusses possibilities such as solar panelling, heat pumps and small wind turbines which could all help you make big savings on your energy bills. This is the most interesting area for me as for a while I've been looking in to the possibility of making our house self sufficient when it comes to our electricity.

I've always been a big advocate of recycling; pretty much 100% of the waste that we produce at work gets recycled and these two shocking bills have made me think maybe I should be doing more when it comes to conserving power. No one reading this article has an excuse not to visit the Energy Trust website; even if you don't worry about the environmental impact of your energy usage then change your perspective by considering the money that could be saved by reducing it.


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Chris Holgate writes a weekly article of all things tech related. He is a director and copyrighter of the online computer consumables business Refresh Cartridges who sell cheap ink cartridges, toner cartridges, computer hardware and other computer consumables online. An archive of his work can be found at www.computerarticles.co.uk.