The Family Unit

DO IT NOW!

Two quick ways to cut energy waste.

1. Go around the house and turn off any appliance that has been left standby. You can also cut energy waste by switching off the power at the socket!

2. Introduce an energy-saving points system for the kids. Before they go to bed they must switch off any electrical appliance that they have used. Each night, if they succeed they get a sticker. The child with the most stickers at the end of the week gets a small prize.

TIP: If you have a Current Cost home energy monitor, check how much electricity you are using before and afterwards! OR boil a full kettle versus one with just the right amount of water needed and see how much you can save!

A survey conducted by the Energy Saving Trust in 2006 found that 67% of people in Britain admit to overfilling the kettle each time they use it.

The organisation concluded that if we each boil the water we need to make a cup of tea instead of filling the kettle every time, we could save enough electricity in a year to run nearly half of all the street lighting in the country!

Going Green with ENVI

Mum Sue-Anne Louw from Alton, Hampshire tells Smart Power about the difference a Current Cost monitor has made to her home.

Read the full story

Going Green with EnviR!

Mum Sue-Anne Louw from Alton, Hampshire tells Smart Power about the difference a Current Cost monitor has made to her home:

"We always leave lights and appliances on all over our cottage and then complain about the bills at the end of the month, so we wanted to try out the EnviR and were interested to see if it would help us to save electricity. The monitor shows electricity consumption by price, measurement and daily and monthly consumption, which makes it easy to keep track of our usage - I particularly like the cost function.

Cutting costs

The information we have got from the EnviR has not made me hesitate to use lights or appliances when we need them but I am now cutting back on unnecessary usage - things like leaving the TV on standby overnight or the dining room light on when no-one is using the room.

Super savings!

We have been amazed at how much electricity we were using and wasting - just by turning off switches, you can literally see the pounds fall. The whole family has got involved - our son Tao, who is seven, has enjoyed learning how much it costs to run different electrical items. He now religiously checks that everything is turned off when he leaves a room and understands that this can save money - which can then be spent on other things!

Going green

Tao also understands the environmental message that saving electricity helps to save the planet, which is something he has also been taught at school. I think the monitor is especially good for families because, ultimately, we all want to save money and now more of us are also becoming more aware about our carbon footprint.

What a result!

Overall, I think using the EnviR has given us a more positive outlook on our electricity consumption. I have compared our current usage with that stated on our last bill and estimate that if we continue to be more careful not to waste electricity we should save at least £10 - £15 per month in future, which we might put towards a family day out."

Thanks to Sue-Anne Louw, partner Joe Carter and their Bright Spark seven year-old son Tao

Sue-Anne Louw photo