Whilst I'm on the Subject

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the subject of global warming and what we can do as householders to be more energy efficient and to save water; and also help by recycling. Luckily our council has fortnightly collections for paper, tin cans and glass but not as yet for plastic or tetra packs which is a concern. They also do a garden refuse collection every two weeks during the spring and summer and they always empty the household wheelie bin every Monday including Easter and Bank Holidays the only time we don’t get a collection is Christmas week, when extra bags are delivered to cope – so all in all a very good service.

For ourselves we try to conserve water and energy as much as possible but still our monthly energy payment has doubled in the last year. We have gas central heating with no extra fires anywhere. The oven and hob are electric; we don’t have a tumble drier or a dish washer and use energy efficient light bulbs where ever we can. We are guilty of leaving the video recorder on but that is because we use the clock and because it is a pain to reset if you switch it off. The refrigerator is C rated for energy efficiency so I guess when we buy a new one we could look to getting an A or better.

In the kitchen we have a compost waste bin under the sink as well as an ordinary household one and I try to use mostly Ecover products for washing and cleaning. I also have a large jug in which to collect any fresh water and use it to water the indoor plants. In the garden we have three water butts collecting water all year for use in the summer for watering the greenhouse and garden and topping up the pond. We also have a large compost bin. We encourage garden birds by having a feeding station and birdbath; we have a pond and a wild area with a log pile for other wildlife and try to grow insect friendly plants like sedum and buddleia. We have one small car whose emissions are acceptable to regulations. We try to buy locally produced seasonal fruit and vegetables, make our own bread with organic flour and buy organic milk and eggs. Just a drop in the ocean, I know, but if we all try and do our bit perhaps we can achieve just a little change for the better.