My recommended tips
1. Check if your apps have a 'dark mode/theme'. Common apps such as Facebook Messenger, YouTube, Outlook and Gmail all have the option of a dark theme (found in the settings of the app).
If everyone switched their apps to dark mode there is the potential to save vast amounts of energy around the world. On average, your screen consumes anywhere between 20-40% of your phone's battery!
+Just think, there are over 2 billion computers and 2.75+ billion smartphones user around the world (2019) and this number is only set to rise.
+You may have realised that I have opted for a black background for my website. This was not an aesthetic choice but rather one to raise awareness of this idea.
+Still not convinced? Well turning your apps to dark also has the benefit of saving your phone battery life (significantly!) and improving your sleep. Blue light suppresses the release of melatonin, a hormone which aids sleep. This is why most cars are lit with blue - keeping us bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!
+Just think, there are over 2 billion computers and 2.75+ billion smartphones user around the world (2019) and this number is only set to rise.
+You may have realised that I have opted for a black background for my website. This was not an aesthetic choice but rather one to raise awareness of this idea.
+Still not convinced? Well turning your apps to dark also has the benefit of saving your phone battery life (significantly!) and improving your sleep. Blue light suppresses the release of melatonin, a hormone which aids sleep. This is why most cars are lit with blue - keeping us bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!
2. Purchase a halogen cooker or Air Fryer for your kitchen.
Halogen ovens are typically £30-£50, table-top size, save 75% energy compared to a conventional oven and offer a crispier texture to food than microwaves.
Air Fryers (larger than halogen ovens) use 66% less energy than a conventional oven, typically cost £70-£200, offer more versatile cooking options, cuts fat and calories by 70-80%, makes crispier food and the biggest selling point, saves time.
Halogen ovens are typically £30-£50, table-top size, save 75% energy compared to a conventional oven and offer a crispier texture to food than microwaves.
Air Fryers (larger than halogen ovens) use 66% less energy than a conventional oven, typically cost £70-£200, offer more versatile cooking options, cuts fat and calories by 70-80%, makes crispier food and the biggest selling point, saves time.
Halogen cookers and air fryers can be purchased from most home and tech stores (John Lewis, PC World, Tesco, Argos, Asda, Amazon etc.) for under £50, and £70-£200 respectively.
+Halogen cookers are clear so allow for easy monitoring of food and have a built-in timer and temperature control.
+Halogen cookers use up to 75% less energy than a standard oven.
+Still not convinced? They look great in the kitchen too! I use mine for cheese toasties, croissants, pies, tomatoes, roasties, shallots, chicken...
+Air fryers offer a large volume for cooking and more options: Roasting/Steaming/Braising/Frying/Combinations and often cook under pressure, reducing the energy required to cook and also speeding up cooking. A roast in under 20 minutes!
+Halogen cookers are clear so allow for easy monitoring of food and have a built-in timer and temperature control.
+Halogen cookers use up to 75% less energy than a standard oven.
+Still not convinced? They look great in the kitchen too! I use mine for cheese toasties, croissants, pies, tomatoes, roasties, shallots, chicken...
+Air fryers offer a large volume for cooking and more options: Roasting/Steaming/Braising/Frying/Combinations and often cook under pressure, reducing the energy required to cook and also speeding up cooking. A roast in under 20 minutes!
3. Purchase socket timers. One of the largest areas of energy waste in the household is due items left plugged in (TVs, computers, home cinema systems). However, it is often inconvenient to reach sockets or even remember to unplug them, right?
Simple socket timers can be purchased from most home and tech stores (John Lewis, PC World, Maplin, Tesco, Argos, B&Q etc.) for under £10. By setting the items of highest energy consumption to switch off overnight, you save energy, save on bills and reduce the likelihood of electrical fires.
+Still not convinced? Many tech stores now offer 'Smart' plugs and smart bulbs which you can control through Alexa, Google and Apple/Android from your phone even when out of the house. These can be expensive, and I'm not entirely convinced of their security standards so I prefer the traditional controllers.
+Still not convinced? Many tech stores now offer 'Smart' plugs and smart bulbs which you can control through Alexa, Google and Apple/Android from your phone even when out of the house. These can be expensive, and I'm not entirely convinced of their security standards so I prefer the traditional controllers.
4. Cold wash settings for your laundry! Use cold-wash or bio-detergents with this setting.
Washing machines actually use most (up to 90%) of their energy in heating their water. A cold-wash setting used for (e.g. delicates and woollens) is actually sufficient for thoroughly washing most loads provided that you are not removing grease or deep-stains.
+Cold-wash laundry detergents and bio-detergents are designed to work between 30°C & 40°C.
+Still not convinced? Most clothes only need a quick low temperature wash if they are not that dirty.
+Cold-wash laundry detergents and bio-detergents are designed to work between 30°C & 40°C.
+Still not convinced? Most clothes only need a quick low temperature wash if they are not that dirty.
5. Be conscious of your heating and cooling systems. Turn off radiators in rooms that you don't use during the day and reposition furniture away from radiators. Radiator reflectors can help reduce energy loss. Purchase energy-star rated AC units that are F-gas free. Shut windows when heating/cooling. Open the Oven after cooking. Cover draughts under doors.
It is natural to think of lights and appliances like TVs as the largest energy consumers in a building, but they are not; it's actually heating and cooling. In a typical western building, an air conditioner or electric heater tends to be the largest consumer of electricity owned.
+Governments have helped get efficient heaters and A/C units to market by certifying them through programs like the Energy Star ratings you might’ve seen on various products.
+Move furniture away from radiators to allow for improved circulation of convection currents in the room. The ambient air temperature is what our skin is in most contact with, it senses this not the back of some coffee table or desk!
+Ensure that your home door/windows frames are fitted with modern draught excluders.
+Curtains offer a far more insulating alternative to thin modern blinds.
+Purchase radiator reflectors. These are simple shiny sheets which can tuck between the radiator and the wall. They reflect the majority of infrared radiation back towards the radiator and into the room, reducing waste. Some manufacturers even claim a 50% saving of heat loss.
+In addition, you can insulate the hot-water tank with this reflective foil/jacket.
+Still not convinced. Radiator reflectors make the room warmer and save on your energy bills. While their retail price is in the range £10-£20, their payback time is actually within just a one year!
Worldwide, there are 1.6 billion A/C units in use and that number will skyrocket as the world gets richer, more populous, and hotter; by 2050, there will be more than 5 billion A/Cs in operation. That could put us in a vicious cycle, where temperatures go up, so we run more air conditioners, which only makes it hotter, and on and on. This is another reason why it’s so urgent for us to decarbonize the world’s energy sources. Reducing emissions isn’t just a problem for technology to solve, Government and corporate polices can also help a lot.
To reduce energy consumption by AC units:
+When selecting a new car think about the colour of the body paint upon purchase. A black car is possibly the worst option from an energy point of view because it is the best emitter of infrared-radiation (meaning more energy consumed to heat the car in the winter) but also the most effective absorber in infrared-radiation (meaning the car gets hotter during the summer period so more energy is used by your AC).
+In the summer, try your best to stay cool actively: take water in the car and use the windows as opposed to passive cooling with an AC.
+Do not have the car windows open when you use your AC.
+In buildings, switch off the AC when there is no one in the room and keep doors within the building shut to separate warm and cool rooms.
But energy use isn’t the only problem with air conditioners. They also contain refrigerant chemicals known as F-gases, which molecule for molecule, have a far more potent greenhouse-effect than carbon dioxide.
+ To avoid the release of F-gases, dispose of your AC units appropriately by consulting your local waste disposal authority.
+Check for F-gas free air conditioner alternatives when making a purchase as they are now widely available (In 2016, representatives from 197 countries committed to reducing the production and use of certain F-gases by more than 80 percent by 2045).
+Governments have helped get efficient heaters and A/C units to market by certifying them through programs like the Energy Star ratings you might’ve seen on various products.
+Move furniture away from radiators to allow for improved circulation of convection currents in the room. The ambient air temperature is what our skin is in most contact with, it senses this not the back of some coffee table or desk!
+Ensure that your home door/windows frames are fitted with modern draught excluders.
+Curtains offer a far more insulating alternative to thin modern blinds.
+Purchase radiator reflectors. These are simple shiny sheets which can tuck between the radiator and the wall. They reflect the majority of infrared radiation back towards the radiator and into the room, reducing waste. Some manufacturers even claim a 50% saving of heat loss.
+In addition, you can insulate the hot-water tank with this reflective foil/jacket.
+Still not convinced. Radiator reflectors make the room warmer and save on your energy bills. While their retail price is in the range £10-£20, their payback time is actually within just a one year!
Worldwide, there are 1.6 billion A/C units in use and that number will skyrocket as the world gets richer, more populous, and hotter; by 2050, there will be more than 5 billion A/Cs in operation. That could put us in a vicious cycle, where temperatures go up, so we run more air conditioners, which only makes it hotter, and on and on. This is another reason why it’s so urgent for us to decarbonize the world’s energy sources. Reducing emissions isn’t just a problem for technology to solve, Government and corporate polices can also help a lot.
To reduce energy consumption by AC units:
+When selecting a new car think about the colour of the body paint upon purchase. A black car is possibly the worst option from an energy point of view because it is the best emitter of infrared-radiation (meaning more energy consumed to heat the car in the winter) but also the most effective absorber in infrared-radiation (meaning the car gets hotter during the summer period so more energy is used by your AC).
+In the summer, try your best to stay cool actively: take water in the car and use the windows as opposed to passive cooling with an AC.
+Do not have the car windows open when you use your AC.
+In buildings, switch off the AC when there is no one in the room and keep doors within the building shut to separate warm and cool rooms.
But energy use isn’t the only problem with air conditioners. They also contain refrigerant chemicals known as F-gases, which molecule for molecule, have a far more potent greenhouse-effect than carbon dioxide.
+ To avoid the release of F-gases, dispose of your AC units appropriately by consulting your local waste disposal authority.
+Check for F-gas free air conditioner alternatives when making a purchase as they are now widely available (In 2016, representatives from 197 countries committed to reducing the production and use of certain F-gases by more than 80 percent by 2045).