My top tips for how to save energy around the home? Here’s how I do it, and it has added benefits:
I work at home all day most days and apart from the flurry of housework before I do the school run I am mostly sitting at my desk. Which means I get chilly. But instead of putting on a heater I either go for a brisk walk (walks are really good for thinking time as well), or do some exercise to a DVD or on the rowing machine. And if don’t have time for either, I run up and down the stairs 10+ times. Yes, really. It works! It warms me up and wakes me up and I can sit back down to my desk and carry on until the furry of housework time.
Exercise is good for us, duh. Who knew it was good for the environment as well?!
This post was inspired by the BritMums and British Gas Watt Loss Challenge, in which I have a chance at winning one of the four sets of £250 in Sainsbury’s vouchers! If you’d like to be in with a chance as well, just write a post about how you’re reducing energy consumption at home; include a vid or photo if you like but they aren’t necessary. Then click on the link above and add your post to the linky. Hurry, there’s only a few days left of the competition.
It was easy to write this post, and important. If we all focus on reducing energy consumption now it will be a habit that we don’t even think about by the time our childen grow up!
So am I the only one running up and down my stairs to keep warm and wake up? Or do you do something even more strange…?
What a brilliant idea! I work form home too and get very chilly. The stairs are just outside my door…have a feeling I won’t be chilly again now!
It does get a little boring going up and down, and the cats come and sit at the bottom of the stairs watching me, but it works to warm me up and if I do it enough I will tone those legs!!
And here I am in Moldova, in this freezing house, with a gas heating system that can’t keep up with the -8 C outside. It’s a new house, designed by a clueless man, and the windows and doors leak like sieves in spite of our desperate weather stripping efforts.
The house is stone and if we don’t keep all the radiators on day and night all over the house (of which we only use 1/2)the temperature sinks in the night and no matter what you do to the thermostat, it won’t get warm again in the day time.
It is a monumental waste of energy, not to speak of the waste of all that money spent on that huge gas bill.
But hey, we have three bidets, and a urinal!
PS: Yes, I’m calling the management company.
Well at least you have a urinal… !!
That must be incredibly frustrating to use all that heating for so little gain. (And so much cost). I think I remember you mentioning the kitchen, also designed by a man, is that right? Schools across the world should be encouraging more girls to consider architecture when they grow up!
Yep, that’s the same man! I agree, more girls should go into house architecture!
LOL! Thought so. I have mentioned your kitchen story to several people when a similar topic has come up since you first said that!
Yes, my urinal for a normal size dishwasher
I have a throw/blanket for when it gets too cold, although I do have a lovely tiled floor in the basement family room….with underfloor heating. I just lie down flat when I need to! LOL
Ooooh, I would love underfloor heating somewhere in my house!!
This is the fabulous thing about living in London – there’s always a staircase nearby. No wonder you always look so glowing in pics!
Oops, “glowing” – meant that as gorgeously healthy looking – not sweaty. Have a great weekend!
We live at the top of a hill in the agricultural outskirts of Granada, and today (what with the cold mountain air seeping its way in through the windows) I couldn’t take it anymore and decided to bundle up and head down the hill toward town for a brisk walk. I bought a box of raspberry PIM’s (LOVE them) and jogged back up the hill, nice and toasty from my run. Other days, I just have our dog sit at my feet to warm them up!