Energy
 
  • Energy: Regulation and economy
    • Natural gas and petrol are fast-disappearing fossil fuels, due to excessive exploitation, and our boilers release Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere.
    Nuclear energy, representing 20% of energy production in the UK and the US, creates untreatable radioactive waste, which is highly dangerous for our future generations.
  • The Eco-Rider attitude:
    • Waste is generated through our own carelessness and through a lack of information.
    In France, all the energy wasted by electrical appliances left on stand-by represents as much as is used by the entire country’s street lighting!
    Together we can apply the 'negawatt' attitude:
    1. Wake up to our energy consumption
    2. Favour efficient electrical appliances
    3. Choose renewable energy
  • Your every day act of green:
    • Switch off the lights when you leave a room.
    • Use energy saving light bulbs and neon lights: These use up to five times less energy.
      If every English person changed just one 100W light bulb for a 20W light bulb, we could save up energy up to the equivalent of the output of two 900 MW nuclear power plants.
      New technology allows energy saving light bulbs to consume on average around 80% less energy than ordinary light bulbs and to last between 8-12 times as long.
    • Unplug or switch off: Don’t leave appliances on stand-by mode.
      One solution is to have a multi-socket plug with an ON/OFF switch. This means you can switch things off without having to unplug them.
    • Unplug mobile phone battery chargers: When plugged in these continue to use the same amount of energy whether they are charging a phone or not
    • Turn the heating down by three to four degrees when you leave the house. 19° is warm enough during the day, when you’re not at home.
      One degree less = a seven percent saving in energy used
      .
    • Collective heating: Turn down the radiator thermostat, instead of opening a window when the room gets a bit too hot.
    • Use a thermostat to regulate your heating at night and while you’re away on holiday
    • Save up to 50% of energy whilst washing clothes: Limit your wash temperature to a maximum of 40°, and connect your washing machine directly to the hot water pipe. Avoid using the tumble dryer.
    • Be a consumer-actor: Choose accommodation that favours energy saving/efficient use of energy with adequate insulation, a thermostat for the central heating/radiators, energy saving light bulbs, and even better somewhere that uses renewable energy.