Goal For The Green

Guest Post by Rosie French

Wholesale energy costs might be lowering, but monthly prices for the end consumer are going up.  Bill prices have been rising above the rate of inflation for a long time in the UK, so knowing how to minimise your costs is essential.  Sieving through the vast amount of information on this topic around the web can be tiring, so we’ve created a short guide to beating the energy companies.

Energy prices/BTU, 1980-2030 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Price Comparison

Sites like Go Compare are excellent at giving you a top-down picture of what the energy market looks like at any given time.  The best thing you can do when you’re looking to save money on your bills is be proactive. Look for fixed term prices, as variable cost rates can fluctuate wildly depending on fundamental factors such as wars in the raw-material countries or strikes at production plants.

Insulation Grants

There are lots of ways to get free roof and loft insulation if you’re in the right financial circumstances.  If you can’t afford to pay for insulation outright, you could be entitled to file a claim for the job to get it done for free.  So, take a look at an online tool that explains whether you’re eligible or not.

Natural Light

Although you might take preventative measures at night to ensure that your thick, winter-proof curtains are closed to prevent heat loss, during the day you should open them wide to let in the natural sun light.  As it passes through the window it is magnified and the light energy is transferred into heat.  Remember, drawing in heat from the sun could let you keep your heating off for an extra half-hour every day, saving you a fortune on your overall bill.

Low-Tech DIY

There are plenty of DIY fixes that can prevent heat loss at home.  For instance, try placing sheets of tin foil against the walls behind your radiators to prevent heat escaping through the walls to the outside.   Similarly, you could create draft excluders to help block drafts which lower the air temperature in your rooms.

If you’ve been worried about the price hikes in the energy sector and wondering about how you’re going to come up with the funds to pay your new bills, use some of these techniques and you’re sure to see the effects of the new prices minimised.  Nobody wants to pay for expensive energy, so beat the energy companies and save money.

Guest Post by Rosie French

If you’re starting up a new business, the thing at the top of your mind probably isn’t eco-compliance. Instead, you’re probably more focused on maintaining your profit and staying afloat. After all, 3 out of 4 new businesses are destined to fail. However, it’s not impossible to be both profitable and green, so follow our advice and you’re sure to be both.

All-Digital Work Flow                                                                       

United Consultancy Services1 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s no secret that Britain is a digital economy. So, ensuring that your entire work ecosystem is online should be something you’re attempting to achieve, regardless of the green benefits. The environmental effect of striving for a digital-only pipeline is numerous. For a start, you’ll reduce your paper output and save on ink and other toxic products. You can even lower your electricity output by switching it off at the wall when you don’t need it, and also by switching your browser to Blackle, which has already saved over 4,000,000 watts of energy to date.

Paper Policy

Following on from the last point, paper wastage is extremely detrimental to the environment, so having a good recycling policy is essential. However, another benefit which you might not at first recognise is that having a stringent paper policy makes you more likely to resort to digital solutions and this has a number of advantages. From being simple to back up to making transfer of ideas easier across your team, introducing a paper policy will not only save on paper, it will also increase your productivity.

Green Consultancy

If your business strays from the path of the generic finance and advertising company, you might not be aware of all the ways you can ensure your new business is green-compliant. If that sounds like you, don’t panic – there are lots of services out there to support you. For example, look to companies such as ERG Air Pollution Control, who offer consultancy services in the areas of air quality control and odor contamination modelling.

There are lots of similar companies who will be able to answer any specific environmental questions you have regarding your business, so make the most of them: nobody wants to run an energy-inefficient, non-environmental business. With these consultancy firms offering free advice, there’s nothing to stop you, as it won’t cost your company anything.

So ultimately, making sure that your business is environmentally compliant should not affect your profits negatively. In fact, if you follow the advice above, it should increase your chances of staying afloat significantly. So what are you waiting for?

A lot of families understand that the world is changing. With changes in weather, the environment, technology, and the growing population, it’s important to make a conscious effort to reduce our carbon footprints. While this may seem like an overwhelming concept, the truth is that going green is something any family can accomplish. It may take some time and some getting used to, but families can learn to gradually change from being highly dependent on energy to being more comfortable with unconventional oil. 

English: The carbon footprint. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

First off, if you’re going to go green, you need to talk with your family about it. Never expect that your family will simply understand or go along with your plans until you’ve discussed it. After all, sometimes changes can be scary, especially for children. Instead of dropping the idea of a drastic change on your children, let them know that you’ll be making some gradual adjustments in the way your family lives your life. Explain to your little ones that change can be a good thing. In this case, you’re making changes that will impact and better the world around you in order to make it a more beautiful place for your children’s children to live.

Next, make a plan. How will your family start living greener? Maybe you want to do something extreme and move off the grid. That’s great! Most families, however, will opt for more realistic and gradual adjustments that they can accomplish while living in the same location. For example, maybe you want to reduce the amount of energy your family uses, maybe you want to start cooking with less plastic, or maybe you simply want to replace your light bulbs with energy-efficient ones. Make a list with your family and figure out how you can accomplish each item on it.

It’s also important that you understand making changes can take time. Even though you might be emotionally ready to go green, it may take time to physically accomplish all of the changes. For example, maybe your family wants to start using reusable grocery bags instead of disposable ones. That’s a noteworthy goal. It may take you a few weeks to get all of the bags you’ll need. If you’re on a limited income, it may take a few months. Similarly, your family might take some time to install solar panels or other green changes you want to make to your home. While this shouldn’t stop you, it should help put things in perspective. It’s vital that you remain content and encouraged even while you work on your personal goals toward living a greener, more ecologically friendly lifestyle.

Finally, encourage your children for the efforts that they make in changing the world around them. Your kids might have friends who make fun of them or tease them for the way your family chooses to live, but it’s fantastic that your kids want to make the world a better place for the people around them and for their future children. Remind your kids that if each person starts to make just a few changes, the world will quickly become a better, more beautiful place.