5 ways to save on utility bills
Believe it or not, one way is to buy a dishwasher.
Do you think that it is necessary to help nature and the planet, but do not understand from which side to take on such a responsible matter? We’ve prepared tips for you from the participants in the IKEA Greener Living at Home project. During the project, 11 Moscow families got a chance to get training from experts and, using new knowledge, independently organize their eco-life. Natalia Beneslavskaya, the head of ecology and social responsibility of IKEA, summed up the results of the action and shares life hacks with the readers of Wday.ru.
LED bulbs work wonders! They use 85 percent less electricity than conventional incandescent bulbs, last 20 times longer, and are mercury-free. For several months, the project participants changed the lamps in their apartments to LED ones and watched how the electricity bills were decreasing.
For additional savings, study your apartment and use point light sources instead of overhead lighting: a lamp on the table, a floor lamp by your favorite chair, a sconce for reading a book before going to bed, lighting in cupboards and on balconies.
You can also save energy with the help of simple habits: turn off the lights when leaving the room, disconnect electrical appliances and chargers when you are not using them.
The cold off-season and life “in an embrace” with a mini-radiator are familiar to most of us, but heaters can almost double the share of electricity consumed! Hang up blackout curtains and lay out carpets made from natural materials – they will help keep rooms warm and partially or completely eliminate the radiator and heated floors.
Turn off the water when brushing your teeth? Keep it up! You can waste even less water by taking a shower instead of a bath. In the first case, you consume 30 liters of water in 5 minutes, in the second – 76! And if you change all the faucets in the apartment for a model with aerators, they will help reduce water consumption by 30-50 percent, and the pressure will remain the same.
Check if your plumbing is working properly, because water can leak out of your house unnoticed. As the project participants found out, you can save water during washing: pay attention to modern A + class washing machines, which are economical in water consumption, and wash only at full load.
Don’t be afraid of dishwashers
If you are still thinking about purchasing this miracle of technology, consider this article a sign of the Universe. The Greener Homes project has experienced all the benefits of dishwashers in practice – they have helped families not only free up a lot of time for more enjoyable activities, but also reduce their monthly water consumption by 20 percent.
One of the families participating in the project calculated that in 7 days, two adults and two children sent 61 non-recyclable bags, 6 iron cans, 25 plastic units, 8 glass units, 28 paper products and 4 XNUMX-liter bags of general waste to the trash can!
It is not so easy to start sorting garbage: there are not always special points for separate collection, and it is difficult to find a place for containers at home. But sorting your home is a doable task. You can arrange a sorting yard on the balcony, staircase, in the kitchen. What do you need to sort? Paper, cardboard, plastic, tetrapack packaging, glass, tin. And some food waste, such as coffee, can be used to feed domestic plants. The project participants proved that up to 90 percent of household waste can be recycled!
Sorted non-hazardous waste can be taken to designated collection points – find out if there are any in your area on the Greenpeace map. Hazardous waste, batteries and mercury lamps must never be thrown into the trash! They must be taken. For example, they are accepted for processing in IKEA stores. And the use of rechargeable batteries will help to completely abandon batteries.
A smarter shopping experience can help reduce waste as well: Avoid choosing foods that are mixed and non-recyclable. Clothes and things that have become unnecessary can be donated to charities or to shops, which in return will provide you with a discount on new things, and old bedding sets can be recycled.
Without noticing it, we bring in nearly a billion plastic bags every year from stores, which end up in landfills. Get a bright reusable textile bag for shopping – it will last you a long time and help you save a lot. And small plastic packaging bags can be replaced with reusable eco-bags for fruits and vegetables.
Try storing food and cereals in special containers – they help keep freshness and become a stylish accessory for your kitchen.
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask! Many coffee shops will happily pour coffee with you into a thermo mug rather than a disposable cup.