Utilities

Insulation
You could save £250-£300 a year on your heating bills if you had adequate insulation in the roof/loft and walls of your house. There are even grants available to get this work done, you may even be eligible to have it done free (we were by just receiving child benefit)!   Take a look at the Energy Saving Trust's website here for information on grants available.  We did this and saw an instant difference.  We could turn our heating down and have it on less.

Green Electricity
Most electric providers offer a 'green' tariff but only one provides all their electricity from 100% green/alternative sources such as wind and solar.  This is .  We moved to Good Energy and are very impressed with the service. It is slightly more expensive than our previous supplier but only about £20 per year more.  The cost of a night out!  Ecotricity do have a green tariff which is 100% renewable but they still invest in oil, gas and nuclear as the main source (75%) for their main tariff.   For a breakdown of energy suppliers power source see www.elecricityinfo.org/suppliers. For more details on green energy providers see www.greenelectricity.org.

The Phone Coop
The Phone Coop is the only telephone provider that ensures all it's dealings and investments are ethical and environmentally friendly, even the tea in the kitchen is Fairtrade. They offset the carbon dioxide associated in providing the service and up the supply chain through offsetting.  It also encourages customers to become members so you can have a say in the running of the coop (if you wish) and also get a dividend!  When we moved from BT to them we actually found they were cheaper!  They also provide broadband packages.  If you do move to them please quote the agent number 525 as it supports this website.

Save On Your Energy Bills!
Yes, you can save money on your energy bills and reduce your impact on the environment.  How?  Use less!  You have all heard it before but I am sure if you think about it there is more you can actually do.  Do you remember to turn lights off? How many of your light bulbs are energy efficient? (They pay for themselves in 12 months.)  You can get grants for installing insulation etc. to make your house more energy efficient.  Details of these grants and other energy saving ideas are on the Energy Saving Trust's great website  www.est.org.uk/myhome. Try their challenge on reducing the amount of energy you use by 20%.  We are making more of an effort at home and have found even by keeping the living room door closed we are using less heating. How about getting a grant to install a wind turbine?!   We would love to do that but we don't own the place we are in!

Another way to save on your heating bill is to block all draughts.  You can buy draught exclusion strips of foam and other types from DIY stores really cheaply.  We blocked the draught coming through the letter box and from under the front door.  To check for draughts hold some ribbon or cotton in your hand and go around the edge of doors and windows.