Some Simple Practical Tips to Help Save the Planet and Save Money Too!

With the cost of living rising, one piece of good news is that living more sustainably often means living more cheaply too. Each month in the Community Ad Magazine we’ll focus on simple, practical ideas to save money while helping the planet. This month we’re looking at easy ways of saving energy to keep those fuel bills down!

SAVING ENERGY:
Most of these things won’t cost you anything extra and should help save money:

• Turn off appliances when you aren't using them.
• Don’t fill your kettle right up to make a hot drink: only boil the amount of water you’re going to use. If you’re at home all day, consider boiling the kettle in the morning and putting what you don’t use into a thermos flask to use later.
• Change to low energy light bulbs (This makes a surprising difference to your bills!)
• Get a smart meter to keep an eye on your energy use and try ways to reduce it. If you want to check which appliances are the most energy-hungry, ‘Which?’ consumer magazine compares them here: https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/cutting-your-energy-bills/article/save-electricity/how-much-your-appliances-cost-to-run
• Don’t overheat your house: wear warmer clothes indoors if it’s chilly, and consider small space heaters for the rooms you use most. For a review of energy-efficient infrared space heaters see: https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/heating/1418135/best-infrared-heater
• Investigate radiator thermostats for rooms you don’t use much: they’ll cost you in the short term but save money over time.
• Dry clothes outdoors whenever possible – they’ll smell great and it’s free!
• Eat a bit less meat and plenty of fruit and veg: they’re cheaper to buy and quicker to cook so they save on energy bills – and a mixed diet is better for you too!
• Batch cook when using your oven, so you fill all the space while the oven’s on.
• Look into changing to a green energy supplier. This may not save you money, but it may not cost more and you’ll be helping the planet. ‘Which?’ magazine did an independent assessment of green energy suppliers last winter, which you can find here: https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/energy-companies/article/green-energy-suppliers/differences-between-green-energy-suppliers

For a fun way to challenge yourself to take steps to live a greener life, why not try downloading the Giki Zero app (https://giki.earth/giki-zero-app-download/)? Its creators explain it as: “150+ steps to help the climate – in your pocket. Each step comes with a handy to do list for every lifestyle and budget. From quick wins to big impact, you’ll find a step that you can start today.” Giki Zero is a social enterprise that aims to help us all find simple ways to live more sustainably.

LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS WHO WANT TO SAVE MONEY AND HELP THE PLANET!
Ramsgate Town Council’s (RTC) Climate Change Task Group wants to put together a group of volunteers to try out different simple, inexpensive ways to save money and help the planet – eg by installing low energy light bulbs or small space heaters, or by installing garden water butts to reduce their water bills. The idea is to compare your bills before and after the trial and see what difference it makes, and for us to share the results in future magazines (without your personal details). NB Being part of this trial will cost you nothing as RTC will cover the appliance costs.

For more information, please contact the Town Clerk at town.clerk@ramsgatetc.org.uk or call on 01843 598751.