Crest
Isle of Man Government
Reiltys Ellan Vannin
Isle of Man Government Crest

Bright Ideas

Bright Ideas

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

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