Author(s): Jon Clift

Sustainability

Did you know that: our demand for electricity grows by about 3 per cent every year? Just lowering the temperature of your thermostat by 1 degree Celcius can reduce your energy bill by 10 per cent? Energy-efficient light bulbs last about 12 times longer than ordinary bulbs, and each one will save you about GBP7 a year? Almost 40 per cent of all the heat that we buy to warm up our rooms escapes through our walls and roof space if they're not insulated? And if we didn't leave our TVs and other gadgets on stand-by, we could shut down two power stations? We're all using more and more energy: charging up our mobiles and laptops; and keeping our rooms so hot that we walk around in short sleeves in the winter; or leaving lights on all day and night whether we are using the rooms or not. But the consequences of using so much so freely is causing our climate to change, and our energy bills to rise. There are many small things we can do which cost nothing but can make a difference.