By on February 28, 2013Discounts & Tips
You don’t always need to make radical lifestyle changes to save cash. Tiny savings add up, take minimal effort and are often just common sense.
Ouch that’s bright… and expensive!
Did you know new research proves you can save as much as £100 a year by turning down your TV’s brightness? Weirder still, high brightness apparently reduces the picture quality on high definition tellies. Lower it and you save around £8 a month. If you have more than one tellybox, you’re motoring. Every TV manufacturer has a different setting – find out how to change yours by checking the manual or searching online.
Add that to the savings you make by washing your clothes at cool temperatures and only boiling as much water as you actually need for a cuppa…
Watts the score on low energy lightbulbs?
Look for Lumens not Watts when you buy low energy lightbulbs. It’s the Lumens that drive brightness levels. Modern bulbs are cooler, use 75% less energy than traditional bulbs and last years and years longer. And they’ve come right down in price since they first hit the scene.
Two-wheeled cool
Since the British team did so well at the 2012 Olympics, cycling has become really cool. Basic new bikes are pretty cheap and you can also pick up second hand machines online via places like Gumtree, Ebay and Greencycle.
Stuff your tumble drier
Appliances with moving parts, like driers, come with a particularly heavy energy burden. So why not do it the old-fashioned way. Bannisters are great for dying clothes. Airing cupboards are handy too. And when it’s nice outside it dries in no time, especially when there’s a breeze.
Get tight with the tea bags
Use a teapot, bung in just one bag, let it mash for a few minutes and save on teabags. You can use the same bag for multiple cups if you’re taking the potless route.
Turn the heat down when you go out
Modern central heating systems heat the place back up in no time – ours is back to cosiness from a stranding start in a few minutes. So get tactical with your home energy bills. If you’re popping to the shops, out for the evening or meeting someone for coffee, turn the heating right down. Or off.
Saving other people’s money for them!
Do you change your bedding and towels every day at home? Probably not. When you’re staying in an hotel, either hang the ‘do not disturb’ sign for your entire stay or ask Reception to ask the cleaners to leave your room alone and you’ll save them money on washing your bedding and towels unnecessarily. Good Karma and all that.
Bright business money saving ideas
It drives me nuts seeing office blocks blazing with light all night long. If the lights are burning overnight at your workplace, suggest turning them off when it’s empty. And make sure everyone tuns their computers completely off when they leave instead of leaving them on standby.
PS. Thanks to Carlos Koblischek on www.scx.hu for the lovely piggybank image.