Brought to you by SSE Airtricity.
Going green doesn’t have to be difficult.
We’d all like to be more environmentally-friendly but it can sometimes seem like a lot of effort. The truth is it’s easy to start making some simple but effective changes.
Not only can you enjoy the smug feeling that comes from knowing you’re doing your bit for the environment but you can actually save money in the process. Cash money, baby!
SSE Airtricity are challenging people throughout Ireland to live a greener life with their new 21 Day Challenge. It’s a simple idea. They want people to make more sustainable choices for the next 21 days and one lucky person will even win a year’s supply of 100% green electricity.
To help get you started, we’ve come up with a few simple energy-saving tips to get you started down a greener path.
1. Buy a mug
Buy yourself a reusable thermal mug and ask your friendly neighbourhood barista to fill that up instead of using a disposable cup. That way, you get your morning caffeine hit without all the waste.
2. Cut back on packaging
You could easily fill a small bin with the packaging you throw away on a weekly shop. One simple way to cut back on this waste and save cash on your bin fees is to buy your fruit or veg in a market with a reusable bag and buy your meat in a butchers, if you can. This can eradicate a lot of the cardboard and plastic wrapping that’s filling up your bin.
3. Use airplane mode when charging your phone
Your phone charges faster when it’s in airplane mode. You’ll survive being offline for an hour! That means less electricity, less waste and you don’t have to wait as long for your phone to be ready to go.
4. Turn off your devices
It’s easy to get lazy and just knock the TV or other devices into standby. You’re still using electricity in standby mode so switch it off at the plug to save waste and eke out some much-needed savings on that electricity bill.
5. Buy energy-saving light bulbs
As your light bulbs die, which they inevitably do, replace them with energy-saving bulbs. They’re four times as efficient as normal bulbs so they’ll also save you money. Everyone’s a winner!
6. Dry your clothes faster
Obviously, using a line or clothes rack is the greenest way to dry clothes. If you do need to use a dryer, throw a dry tea towel in with your clothes. It absorbs moisture and makes your clothes dry quicker. Just remember to take the towel out after 15 minutes. This tip saves electricity, time and money.
7. Put a brick in your toilet
That may sound strange but we’re talking about the cistern part as opposed to the bowl. The brick means there’s less water in the cistern so you don’t waste as much water when you flush. Less water means less energy is needed to process and purify it.
8. Make your razors last longer
Buying razors is a pain but this handy hack will help you to extend their lifetime. You can actually sharpen razors by running them across an old pair of jeans. Push it against the denim in the opposite direction to the way you use it to shave about 20 times. It seems unlikely but it actually hones the edge and sharpens the blade.
9. Use cold shower water to refill your loo
We all run the shower until it gets warm but use a bucket to capture the cold/lukewarm water that you would normally let run down the drain. Then, use this to refill the cistern of your toilet the next time you flush. That way, you’re saving a full flush and the shower water that would have been wasted. Simple!
10. Consider second-hand options where possible
Simple things like buying second-hand furniture or other items keep these things out of our landfills. It saves the energy used and pollution created in the making of a new item. You can also pick up some surprisingly good second-hand furniture for great prices so that does your bank balance no harm either.
SSE Airtricity is powering green living with a 21 day challenge for Ireland. Irish TV presenter Baz Ashmawy and healthy living entrepreneur Roz Purcell are joining SSE Airtricity in challenging Ireland to live greener this month. It takes 21 days to create a new habit. Try our #21DayChallenge #PowerOfGreen
Brought to you by SSE Airtricity.
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