Bright Ideas

Small changes can make a big difference…..

Put lids on your saucepans when you are cooking
Try cooking a meal all in one (using only the oven or one pot)
Use a Microwave more often to cook
Buy local food and drink, you’ll be blown away by the range of foods available on the Isle of Man
Share a lift to work or school
When replacing household appliances, look for the energy efficiency rating or check www.est.org.uk for a list of ratings
Set your washing machine to 30 or 40 degrees Celsius
To get a truly original feature for your home or garden, look in local charity shops or car boot sales for a ‘one-off’ piece
If you are thinking about buying a water feature for your garden, consider one that is solar powered.
Draught proof your letterbox, windows and keyholes
Use thicker high quality curtains to keep the heat in
Reuse plastic bags and bottles
Only use your dishwasher when you have it fully loaded
Don’t leave the tap running when you brush your teeth
Save used water from the sink or bath to water the garden
When you replace your taps buy clever ‘spray taps’ that cuts down on water usage
Grow your own herbs on your windowsill
Turn your thermostat down by 1 degree, a measly 1 degrees can cut your heating bills by 10%
Only fill your kettle with as much water as you need
Open curtains as soon as you get up to let the sun’s warmth in
Draw your curtains at dusk and make sure they are tucked behind radiators to stop heat escaping.
Use your heating controls to make sure your central heating or hot water timers aren't on when you are not there!

Share a bath or a shower to conserve water
Keep doors closed in the house when the heating is on to keep it in
Insulate your loft and cavity walls (contact the Department of Local Government and the Environment for advice on grants)
Wear an extra layer rather than putting the heating on
Try to buy items with less packaging, supermarkets should be encouraged to reduce packaging
Fill gaps under your skirting boards
As a default put paper already used on one side into your printer
Replace your old bulbs with new warm light low energy ones
Consider using LED Lighting
Don’t leave electrical appliances on standby
Use motion sensors and remotes to control lights
Use smaller/less lights in your sitting room while watching TV – you save electricity and it maybe more romantic!
Use timer devices on lights, TV,DVD etc to switch it off
Use an energy monitor to help you keep track of your energy use
Buy a clever device which turns off your printer, scanner, monitor etc when your computer powers down
When buying a new TV consider purchasing LED with low power consumption
Turn off your mobile phone charger at the wall when you are not using it
Turn off lights when you leave the room
Use multiplugs with remotes to turn everything off
Fit your hot water tank with an insulation jacket
Set the immersion heater thermostat to 60 degrees centigrade
Keep radiators clear. If you block them with furniture, you stop them from doing their job