Continuing on the theme of going green to save cash, here are some other ways to cut your electricity consumption without going the whole hog and erecting a wind-turbine on your roof (although that would be an excellent idea if you’re so inclined).

4. Get to grips with how much energy you’re using

If you know just how much electricity is being used in your home, especially when you aren’t actually using your electrical goods and appliances, would you still leave things switched on?  Energy monitors, like the Efergy monitor, will put your electricity usage into an easy to understand monetary value, so you can actually see your money evaporating into thin air. There’s nothing like shock treatment to initiate change.

5. Wipe out standby and electricity leaks

Standby and electricity leaks are two ways in which energy is “used” by appliances when they are “switched off”.  Would you believe that 5% of residential electricity used is wasted on standby or as leaked electricity?  Well, it’s true.  TVs, VCRs, DVDs and cable and satellite boxes are the main culprits, followed by hi-fis and telephones/answer-phones.  Cut out as much of this leakage as possible by switching gadgets off at the wall (okay, this might not be feasible for the phone, but what about the other stuff?).  To make this chore as easy as pie, invest in a little gadget that will switch off a whole lot of electrical appliances by pressing just one little button on a remote. (And if the colour of that one doesn’t grab you, try this one.)

6. Here’s one for the ladies who just can’t go without their daily blow-dry

Now, if you want to be a really deep shade of green, you’ll just walk away from the hairdryer and not look back.  What do you think the sun is there for?  Get outside with a cup of tea in the morning and let the sun dry your locks the way  nature intended.  If you can’t do without the products, the brushes and the energy-vampire known better as the hairdryer, at least get yourself one that uses half the amount of energy, like this one.

Photo credit: Kai Hendry