The Green Familia » Green Living

Guest Post: Slashing Your Family´s Largest Carbon Footprint Contributors

Brenda — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:39:37 +0000

When we try to become more environmentally-friendly, many of us take such steps as buying organic foods, recycling waste materials, and encourage responsible consumption among our family members. All of these steps are certainly worthwhile and beneficial ones. But, for many of us, they do little to address the main sources that contribute to our overall carbon footprint.

As most carbon footprint calculators will readily demonstrate, there are certain lifestyle elements that disproportionately inflate the average person’s emissions. Among these are three areas where everyone can make a concerted effort to improve: airline flights, meat consumption, and energy use. A person who flies regularly, eats meat often, and is liberal with their energy consumption is likely to fall among the largest carbon footprint producers – even if they are green in everything else that they do. On the other end of the spectrum, a person who rarely flies, observes a vegetarian diet, and is conservative with the energy bill will likely find themselves among the most sustainable of Americans.

So your family can go a long way towards reducing its carbon footprint by eliminating (or at least by reducing) the contributions it makes in these three categories. Here are a few tips for accomplishing that:

Don’t Eat Meat At Family Meals

Asking the average person to completely give up their meat diet may be too much to ask. But it’s not unreasonable to eliminate meat products from family meals. After all, most of a family’s meat is generally consumed at a meal where the household members sit around the table and eat chicken, turkey, or beef. Even if you continue eating deli meat for lunch, becoming a vegetarian at such meals can vastly reduce your family’s total meat intake.

Stop Using Airline Rewards Cards

Some people have no choice but to fly regularly for business or personal reasons. But considering the tremendous contribution just one flight makes to your overall carbon footprint, it is essential that families work to eliminate those trips that aren’t rare or necessary. A great way to do this is by eschewing mile rewards programs that can provide your family with a free flight even when you don’t need one. Instead, you can figure out what is the best cash back credit card and then find more green-friendly no fee credit cards that better fit the bill.

Get A Smart Thermostat

Being frugal with the heat and the air conditioning is definitely a good way to start reducing your home energy consumption. But if you truly want to minimize your energy use you need to strive for the utmost in energy efficiency. You can do this by purchasing a smart thermostat that has the ability to automatically raise and lower the home temperature depending on the outside weather, the movement of people within the household, and even the daily comings and goings of you and your family. This can help you save a considerable amount of energy (not to mention money) in the long run.

These are just three of the many ways to reduce some of the major household contributors to carbon emissions. Whatever approach you choose, don’t forget the importance of meat, energy, and airlines flights when it comes to determining a person’s carbon emissions. By eliminating just these three sources, you can go a long way towards making your household a far more green-friendly place.

Image Credit: flickr.com/photos/ob8/4642303096/

Guest Post: Being a responsible small business owner

Brenda — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:57:29 +0000

With consumers and businesses all over the world steadily making the switch to environmentally friendly or “green” practices, it is in every small-business owner’s best interests to move with the times and make the necessary changes.

But how do busy business owners who are already knee-deep in work find the time to make this seemingly daunting task a reality? According to recent surveys, one in three small-business owners say that the economy has impacted their plans to become more “green.”

Luckily, going green doesn’t have to cost you or your business much in the way of time or resources, and it can be as simple as making as few basic changes in the way you operate from day-to-day.

Properly dispose of all waste materials

When it comes to waste, how you dispose of it can make a big difference to the environment. As of 2007, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive) has been in place, and as a business owner, you need to be aware of these laws and regulations regarding the disposal of electronics.

The WEEE Directive’s goal is to reduce the amount of electrical and electronic equipment that is produced, by encouraging businesses and consumers to recycle and recover their equipment. If you run a business that imports, rebrands or manufactures electronic or electrical equipment then you will need to register on a producer compliance scheme.

Other waste such as ink cartridges should be recycled rather than thrown out with the regular waste. Empty ink cartridges can often be refilled or traded in when you purchase new ones, which will even save you money.

Cut down on paper usage

In this day and age, there is no reason why businesses should still rely solely on paper to distribute announcements and share information with employees and customers. With e-mail, company websites and social media, you can get the word out much more efficiently, and it will even save you money on ink and paper.

Switching your business over to cloud computing will enable you to safely store documents, without taking up extra space in filing cabinets and cupboards.

Naturally, you will never be able to stop using printers altogether, but following these tips will cut down dramatically on the amount of waste that your company produces.

Make your employees aware

Have a meeting with your whole staff and discuss how you can all work together to make your company more environmentally friendly. Simple things like turning off equipment when it is not in use, ensuring taps are not left dripping and lights are switched off, will make a big difference in the long-term.

If your office is in need of an updated look, you could consider refurbishing the furniture to keep it looking great without spending a lot on a brand new set. If you do need to replace certain items, make sure you recycle your old furniture in some way. Get your employees involved and listen to their suggestions and thoughts on the matter.

Following these simple tips can help the environment, save your company money, and your customers will love you for it.

A guest post by Claire Hodge on behalf of General Waste Collection – the commercial waste management specialists.

Guest Post: 5 ways to keep green this winter

Brenda — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:43:03 +0000

With the dawning of the new year, winter really seems to have kicked in. Frosts settle thick and unforgiving over most nights, temperatures drop well below zero and a sea of resulting colds are spreading like wildfire. This cold patch will have many people abandoning their cautious ways, cranking up the heating and sinking into many a comforting hot bath – and who can blame them?

However, there are ways to get around the problems of winter while keeping green. Whether you’re a couple who met on free dating websites or a family of five, why not make your main new year’s resolution to keep green this 2012, even through the most testing months? Here are five ways to get started…

Take early nights

It’s amazing how much energy you can save by going to bed a few hours earlier. Even if you’re not sleeping, bed is a great place to keep warm without using any energy. So, programme your heating to shut down by 9pm and get under the covers with a hot-water bottle, plenty of blankets and your latest book. Not only will this save your energy consumption but it will also save your personal energy levels, and you’ll soon find yourself much more rested and relaxed.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bike/248030268/

Add a layer

It might sound a bit obvious, but a sure way to resist cranking up that dial is just to put on another jumper. Better than this, invest in a snug dressing gown and wear it around the house for head-to-toe warmth. Now they even sell blankets with armholes, allowing you to go about your domestic activities in warmth and comfort. Hold out as long as you possibly can before turning the heat up. Layers are there to help!

Turn it off

This is another simple trick, but an effective one. If you’re not using something, turn it off. This applies to lights, heaters, devices and even plug sockets. Also, you may like browsing dating websites while watching TV, but multi-tasking and energy-saving really aren’t compatible. Think carefully about what you’re doing every time you turn something on.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sevestjude/4382167569/

Keep to one room

Using all your light and heat in one room is another great way to save energy. Turn the heat and all electrical appliances off in the rest of the house and settle down together in one warm room. The kitchen is particularly apt for this, as any heat generated from cooking will also stay with you.

Cycle to the shops

For short journeys it’s so tempting to just jump in the car. But this winter, providing it’s not too icy, why not get into the habit of jumping on your bike and reducing your carbon footprint? You could even get one with a basket so you can carry as much as you want with you.

Winter doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your values. With these tips you can keep green and keep warm for the whole season.

Guest Post: Your Garden Birds Need You!

Brenda — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:00:40 +0000

Many gardens across the UK have seen the number of visiting countryside birds declining in recent years; but this isn’t always necessarily something to be worried about. Garden bird populations fluctuate naturally throughout the year and can be affected by many different things from weather and changes in season, through to the availability of nuts and seed within their natural environment.

There is evidence however to suggest the some species, such as house sparrows and swallows, are indeed in decline across some parts of the UK. These declines have been put down to changes in farming methods, such as destruction or development of breeding grounds, but whatever the causes all our avian friends are about to need our help.

This year, with winter seemingly set to make a late appearance, it is time for us all to start thinking about offering a little assistance to our feathery garden visitors. With many parts of the UK set to experience sub-zero temperatures birds are in for a tough couple of months.

Believe it or not many countryside bird species need to eat their own weight in food every day just to survive throughout winter. As you may expect, food can be hard to come by at this time of year and so, now more than ever, gardeners and householders can really make a difference by putting out extra supplies of garden bird food.

If you’d like to do your bit for your local bird population there are several things to consider. Firstly recent studies have suggested that any garden bird food supplied in netting should be decanted into proper bird feeders, placed on bird tables or into ground feeding trays as the plastic nets can present a hazard to birds. As well as how you feed the birds in your garden, thought should also be given to the type of food used by choosing seed mixes have been developed to provide the correct nutrients for a variety of birds.

To attract a wide variety of species to your garden you may also like to consider trying different types of garden bird food such as sunflower hearts, packed with energy and essential oils; Nyger seed, a favourite of the Goldfinch or even Mealworms, a favourite of the robin.

With recent reports from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) warning that the risk of extreme weather is likely to increase in the future, it’s likely that garden birds will continue to be affected and therefore continue to need our assistance in the years to come.

Bio:

Andrew Jackson tries to encourage wildlife within his garden for his own enjoyment and to help educate his children. In order to attract birds Andrew uses a range of wild bird food that can be chosen to suit the time of year and different groups of birds.

Ella’s Kitchen and TerraCycle Recycle Baby Food Pouches

Jo — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:00:55 +0000

Ella’s Kitchen is passionate about protecting our playground and helping little ones grow up in a healthy, happy world. In partnership with TerraCycle, the organisation that provides free waste collection programmes for hard to recycle materials, Ella’s Kitchen has successfully saved 100,000 used baby food pouches from UK landfill by recycling them into new products.

The Ella’s Kitchen Brigade was launched in the UK in October 2010 with a programme of recycling that has been embraced by families, schools, nurseries and baby and toddler groups across the UK as a perfect way to raise awareness of the importance of taking care of our environment whilst raising money for schools, charities and non-profit organisations.

Ella’s Kitchen Brigade participants across the UK have all done their bit to help reach this significant 100,000 collection milestone figure. For each used baby food pouch of any brand sent back to TerraCycle, two points is earned which can be redeemed for a two pence contribution to the school or charity of the collector’s choice. To date Ella’s Kitchen Brigade has raised over £3,400 for worthy UK schools, charities and non-profit organisations.

TerraCycle uses the waste baby food pouch material to make a wide range of recycled generic plastic products such as garden benches, watering cans or waste bins and upcycled lunch bags, pencil cases, place mats and more. Each month until the end of May 2012 every member of the Ella’s Kitchen Brigade who sends in 20 or more baby food pouches or packs in a single shipment will be entered into a prize draw to win 1 of 20 fabulous upcycled lunch bags, as part of the Ella’s Kitchen lunch bag giveaway.

Any interested individuals, schools and organisations can learn more about and sign up to the Ella’s Kitchen Brigade for free today at TerraCycle here.

Guest Post: Tips to save money on your printer ink cartridge and environment too!

Brenda — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:55:42 +0000

One of the most expensive parts of printing expenses is printer ink cartridges. It doesn’t matter which printer you buy, the recurring costs of printer cartridges remain very high. Increasing raw material costs have added fuel to this fire which has made the printing process painstakingly expensive. The process is not only hazardous for your pocket but also for the environment as more and more cartridges are being dumped into landfills.

An inexpensive and environment friendly solution to this problem is the use of remanufactured or refilled ink cartridges. First let’s see what different types of cartridges are, so that we can under stand which ones are better for us in terms of environment as well as for saving money.

Original Cartridge

Very simple, these are the cartridges which come along with your printer when you buy it. These are usually manufactured by the same manufacturer (as that of the printer). Companies usually sell these at premium prices and thus are not your pocket friendly.

Remanufactured cartridge

A Remanufactured cartridge is the one which has been used earlier and had been originally manufactured by the printer manufacturer (Original Equipment Manufacturer, OEM). This used cartridge is broken apart, cleaned and rebuilt. Essentially, a remanufactured cartridge is made up of a used OEM cartridge that has undergone different stages for recycling and refilling before it is sold in the market. It is manufactured by a third party manufacturer using same process as used by the OEM to maintain the quality.

Remanufactured cartridges are much cheaper than the original ones as they don’t carry the Brand value with them. A remanufactured cartridge can save 70%-80% of your printer ink costs.

Refill Kit

A refill kit is a set of equipments and printer ink used to refill the empty or used ink cartridges. It is a perfect, affordable and easy alternative for a regular printer geek. I am saying geek because you need a little bit of skill to use this kit. Before you can actually use this kit you need to know where your printer’s cartridges are then you should be able to get them out and place them back in (after filling ink). This can be a bit tricky on bigger printing systems). Once you know that, the next step would be to refill the cartridge which you can do using ink bottles, cartridge holder and needles that come with the refill kit.

Compatible ink cartridge

A Compatible ink cartridge is actually a new cartridge which is manufactured by third party manufacturer, designed to work in specific printer and is fully compatible to work with it. A Compatible cartridge is usually manufactured under same conditions and specification to provide maximum compatibility and quality. As it is manufactured by third party manufacturers are cheaper than the original ones and save you tones of money!

So if you are looking for cheaper alternatives to your ‘printer ink problem’, you now have options to choose from. Most people trust compatible cartridges as they are original (original third party manufactured and are not used previously).

Those who don’t have any problem using the old cartridges go for or remanufactured ones. Also, remanufactured ink cartridges are made from recycled original cartridges, they are eco-friendly and save environment as they decrease the number of old cartridges being dumped into landfills.

The guys who have a geeky touch can go for the refilling kits, these are also environment friendly as you are using the same cartridge again and again by refilling it and you don’t have to dump anything. (except for the burden of extra printing costs !)

Author Bio: Author is a consultant with InkMan (www.inkman.com.au), an online retail store for all brands of Toner cartridges. InkMan provide its customers options to choose from original, refill kits and compatible ink cartridges for their printers. InkMan is provider of all types of office supplies along with printers, fax machines, scanner and like.

Guest Post: Can Commercial Furniture be Considered Green

Brenda — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:06:11 +0000

When people look at furniture within the hospitality industry, what do they see? They may see style, elegance, and beauty in varying forms. These are all important prerequisites for these kinds of furniture because they are the triggers that will draw the client numbers that players in the hospitality industry require to make their businesses profitable. Despite this, there is a general trend in the world to appreciate all things that are considered green. Green is the color of abundant life, vitality and new fresh things. This begs the question, “how can restaurant furniture be considered green?’’ Although not in the traditional sense of the word, some aspects of good furniture solutions serve to answer this point;

Ease of cleaning – like all renewable things, the ability to easily clean them is very important. Since it is impossible to control the people who will use the furniture it should be totally possible to clean it immediately and impeccably in case the situation calls for it. Furniture that can look as good as new each and every time can be considered green.

Ergonomics – this is basically the ability of a mechanical object’s ease of use by humans. This means that, majority of the people can use and reuse the item without getting it degraded quickly. It is also strong enough to withstand certain levels of weights from both adults and children. The ability of furniture to keep strong despite the changes in usage can be considered green. Many restaurant chairs are a good example of green chairs because they can be used by adults of different shapes and sizes for long periods of time.

Enhances the environment – furniture that is aesthetically beautiful always enhances its surroundings by adding its own special beauty. Like the different shades of flowers and other vegetation in nature, green furniture is created in different colors and designs that easily blend in with their diverse environs to make the overall picture more visually appealing.

Modular – this is the type of furniture that can be designed for a variety of uses and also in a variety of interesting ways. This makes the furniture flexible over a wide scope of functionalities. Green furniture is widely adaptable and easily useable anywhere it is placed.

Long lasting – like nature, green furniture is designed to be long lasting. Many times it can outlast its owners. This cost effective advantage makes green furniture very economical for its many users in both the short and long term.

Universally acceptable – nothing can be considered truly green unless it is universally accepted to a majority of people. Restaurant furniture that is popularly used across many industries because of its many benefits can be considered green because it has become an acceptable standard across the industry.
Elijah Severin is a furniture consultant. He assists many of his clients get the best furniture for their unique environments. He ensures that the commercial furniture he uses is versatile, dependable and solid.

Guest Post: Hit the Slopes While Still Protecting the Environment

Brenda — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:00:18 +0000

For the skiing, snowboarding and other wintertime enthusiasts or those who just want to take in the scenery and refreshing air that a ski area provides, there are ways to make a winter trip to the slopes enjoyable and beneficial for the environment.

You may not think that a day or weekend on the slopes has much of an impact on the environment, but it certainly does. As it turns out, such winter activities can and do disturb the natural environment that in many parts of the world lays undisturbed for months at a time in the winter.

If you think that activities such as skiing do not have an impact on the environment, consider:

The majority of downhill skiing pursuits occur on prepared slopes, meaning a number of trees have been removed and the land has been worked over in order to make for a worthwhile run;
With more resorts having to rely on artificial snowmaking due to warm spells across the country in recent winters, this means more exposure to chemicals at times which are added to provide the making of snow crystals;
Wildlife can be and is impacted in order for ski trails to be maintained. With more animal habitats being disturbed, there is an overall effect on the environment;
Given most people need to use vehicles to get to and from ski resorts, more gas emissions take place, unlike in summer when there is more outdoor activity such as biking to and from locales.

Some folks have taken the initiative to make sure that individuals get the best of both worlds in the wintertime – fun activities and exercise while the environment is more carefully cared for.

Among the things to consider is:

Cross country skiing – This activity does not require graded slopes and ski lifts, meaning there is less of an impact on the overall environment.
Recycle as much as possible – It comes as no surprise that drinks like coffee, hot chocolate and tea are popular when paired with wintertime activities. Make sure you recycle cups, cans and bottles so that they are not ending up in a landfill in piles of trash;
Conserve water – When you head back to your hotel room, reuse towels and linens when possible in order to cut down on water usage by the cleaning staff;
Don’t litter – It may seem like not a big deal to drop small amounts of litter while on a ski lift or traipsing through the snow, but each time one does that it contributes to damaging the environment;
Don’t disturb wildlife areas – Given that the downhill slopes have already impacted the area wildlife, don’t go off on side paths where you could further disturb wildlife that is looking for a sanctuary;
Go green with your resort choice – When searching for a place to stay, track down a green resort. Look for a spot to stay that recycles products and is pro-environment. You can search for resorts that are proponents of micro hydropower systems and wind turbines for starters, which offset damage to the environment and overall energy costs. Some resorts are also proponents of composting programs and providing shuttle services that cut down on the amount of personal vehicles coming into and out of the resorts.

By all means, this is not a knock on skiers, resorts and anyone else who wants to get out and enjoy wintertime weather around the world this month and a few more to follow.

When doing so, however, take a few minutes to remember the environment and how you can slide into a better time for all.

Photo credit: msnbc.msn.com

Dave Thomas, who covers among other items small business loans, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.

Guest Post: Could safe driving help save the environment

Brenda — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:00:03 +0000

These days, everyone knows that driving habits can have an impact on the environment, and that changing the way you drive can reduce emissions. This kind of greener driving can also offer the added benefit of creating safer roads – we’ll explain how.

How can your driving habits be bad for the environment?

The more you drive, the greater your greenhouse gas output. On top of that though, things that makes your car work harder than it needs to will also lead to increased emissions.

This includes anything that reduces the aerodynamics of your car – like roof racks or winding windows down, and additional drains on the power of your car, like in-car entertainment systems or air conditioning.

Another cause of added strain on your vehicle is under inflated tyres – this causes drag which reduces the number of miles per gallon (MPG) you’ll achieve. Not only that, but under inflation also puts added pressure on the structure of the tyre, reducing its lifespan and increasing the likelihood of replacement.

Keeping your car well maintained and serviced will also contribute to improving environmental performance – if wear and tear or damage to the vehicle is discovered and repaired promptly, MPG can be maintained and disposal of parts minimised.

The way you drive can also have a big impact on your green credentials:

Speed – the link between speed and fuel consumption varies considerably between car models, but for motorway driving, as you exceed 70mph you’ll begin to suffer a noticeable decrease in fuel consumption.
Acceleration – consider two scenarios – running 100m in a leisurely 20 seconds, and then sprinting in 10 seconds. How much more out of breath would the second run make you? Probably multiple times more than the first. The same is true of accelerating in a car – increasing speed quickly uses far more energy than smooth acceleration.
Braking – as drivers, we ‘spend’ energy on increasing our car’s speed. Of course, we have to regularly use the brakes in order to drive well, but if you leave braking to the last minute and end up at a standstill, you’ll have to ‘spend’ the same energy again to regain your speed. Braking early and being aware of your surroundings can prevent you from wasting the momentum you have built up. Harsh braking can also increase repair costs for tyres and brakes.
Cornering – taking corners at high speeds can contribute to wear and tear on your tyres, which in turn can impact fuel economy and wastage due to tire replacement.

Which green driving characteristics encourage safe driving?

Most of our points covered above have a close link to safe driving – there’s certainly a considerable overlap between driving safely and driving economically.

Tyre condition has a real impact on stopping distances, which increase dramatically when the tread depth falls to 3mm. An example of how tread depth can affect braking distance – according to Continental, if two cars hit the brakes at 70mph, one with 3mm tread and one with 1.6mm, the latter would still be travelling at 50mph by the time the former had already stopped.

Speed also has a dramatic effect on stopping distance, while also reducing the time a driver has to react to nearby hazards. According to Dr Lisa Jardine-Wright, a physicist at the Cavendish Laboratory, based at Cambridge University, driving at 80mph rather than 70mph on the motorway would add 26m to your stopping distance.

Quick acceleration is also dangerous from a hazard perception angle – with a rapidly changing speed, everything happens more quickly, leaving both the driver and other road users little time to respond to potential dangers. Similarly, rapid acceleration and harsh braking can catch other road users unaware and increases the chances of a collision.

By driving smoothly and steadily, rather than in a fast, unpredictable manner, and by keeping tyres and brakes properly maintained, it’s possible to become a more economical driver whilst also helping make roads safer for yourself and others around you.

This article was written by Luke from young driver car insurance brand ingenie.

Guest Post: 4 Factors to Consider When Making Your Home Eco-Friendly

Brenda — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:00:11 +0000

There are a plethora of reasons you may want to make your home more eco-friendly. It’s easy to get people on board with an eco-project for their home once they start to grasp how much energy their homes are actually wasting.

Here are three factors you need to consider when making your home eco-friendly.

Insulation, Insulation, Insulation

If you are serious about making your home more eco-friendly, then the first thing you need to consider is how well it is insulated.

Before the days of central heating, the Victorians would design smaller rooms in houses, so it would be easier to keep them warm during the harsh winter months.

Now though, with central heating, architects have free reign to layout the design of the house how they want; the energy efficiency of the home can often become a secondary consideration.

If you’re not sure what type of insulation you’ve got in your roof, your chartered surveyors should have provided you with that information in the report they gave you when initially surveying your property.

Get back in touch with them and they’ll be able to make recommendations as to the changes you should make based on the survey of your building.

Apart from improving the building’s insulation, there are other ways you can cut down on the heat your home wastes.

2. The Little Things

If you don’t want to , (or can’t afford), to implement wholesale changes to your building’s insulation structure then don’t worry, there are plenty of little changes you can make to your home that will slowly but surely make it more eco-friendly.

For example, you can’t start draught proofing your home, which is one of the cheapest and most effective means of saving both energy and money. To draught proof the building, you need to block up all unwanted gaps where cold air passes through. Make sure you check all:

Windows
Doors and keyholes
Loft hatches
Suspended floorboards

The next thing to do is to choose the type of material you’re going to fill the gap with. Really, there are two options here: self-adhesive foam strips or metal strips with brushes or wipers attached. The foam strips are cheaper here, but they may not last as long.

3. Window Areas

The windows in your home are where the property loses a lot of heat. This occurs when the warm air inside comes into contact with the cold glass and then escapes onto the outside; a process called radiant heat loss. In order to reduce this occurring you should make sure that you have adequate curtains hung over the window; preferably ones with a lining. Blinds are not as affected at keeping heat in as curtains are, so if you have some installed you may wish to consider using curtains in conjunction with them.

4. Return on Investment

The final factor you want to consider when making your home eco-friendly is your return on investment. Making eco-improvements to your home can often involve a large initial investment.

This isn’t to say that you won’t see some ROI on making your home more eco-friendly. Often, insulating your loft can cost somewhere in the region of £750; in five years though, it will have paid itself off and you will start to make money.

If you’re planning on selling the home in the short term, it is perhaps worth waiting until you move to a new property. That said, implementing these changes can increase the resale value of your home.

Bio:

Andrew Jackson tries his hardest to run an energy efficient home. A key step in achieving this goal was following up on the advice that he received from his chartered surveyors in Leeds and installing roof insulation when he purchased his new property.