Tag: Appliances

Counting on … day 110

20th May 2024

Being as green as we can with energy includes not boiling more water than we need for drinks, turning off appliances and lights when not in use, replacing lightbulbs with LEDs, and opting for energy efficient appliances when buying new ones. In the garden we don’t use power tools – cutting the grass (infrequently) by hand. In the kitchen we have an electric stick blender which is a real boon but otherwise use hand powered tools for cooking such as balloon whisks and a hand cranked coffee grinder. Elbow grease is an undervalued source of energy! And there is also the energy saving component that comes from not buying the electrical item in the first place.

As previously mentioned, we are also able to save energy by showering less often, washing clothes – and therefore ironing – less often.

With cooking, we use primarily the hot plates and microwave, and when using the oven (usually bread making day) cook several items to maximise use the energy. 

Further reading – https://greentau.org/2021/09/10/the-green-tau-issue-16/

Counting on …. Day 18

18th January 2024

Repair and maintenance of things as well as clothes extends their useful life and so makes best use of resources. This can include an annual maintenance visit for your boiler (if you still have one), cleaning and or polishing footwear, reheeling/ resoling shoes, cleaning washing machines including the filter, cleaning washing machines, cookers – in fact anything that can be cleaned- descaling kettles, cleaning cycles, changing brake blocks, oiling chains as well as having a regular servicing, re-decorating painted window frames, doors etc, cleaning out gutters (you may need help with this).

Websites such as https://hoa.org.uk/advice/guides-for-homeowners/i-am-managing-2/home-maintenance-checklist/ can be a starting place to check on routine maintenance for your home (although I wouldn’t recommend jet hosing patios etc as that wastes water and energy).

Counting on …day 298 

Counting on …. day 1:016

16th January 2023

The things we use around our homes, particularly appliances and electrical equipment, all come with a carbon footprint both in their manufacture and in their use. When we buy new ones we can get information as to how energy efficient they are in use. We can information from the Ethical  Consumer, Which guides etc as to how ethically they have been made ( for example the sourcing of raw materials,  pay and working conditions of employees etc), and about the longevity and repairability of the item. The longer lived an item is the better use it makes of resources.   When considering energy use of items, we may opt for a manual rather than an electric version – eg a hand worked coffee grinder, a hand whisk etc. 

For further thoughts – https://greentau.org/2021/09/10/the-green-tau-issue-16/