Green Tips to Reduce your Energy Usage and Bills!

New nationwide restrictions mean that more of us are working from home and thereby using more energy – from running lights and laptops to boiling the kettle more often.

With more people working from home due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, East Suffolk Council wants to encourage residents to find out more about how they can reduce their energy use to save money on their bills and help protect the environment.

Cllr James Mallinder, cabinet member for the Environment, said: “Less commuting and closed office buildings can help reduce the environmental impact in some areas. However, home workers will have a different impact but also opportunities to help protect the environment and save money on their energy bills. There’s a lot of things we can all do which may seem insignificant, but if we all make some small changes now, we can make a big different over time.”

There are many simple steps you can take now to start reducing your energy usage, including:

• Turn off the heating in rooms you don’t use and avoid having it on all day. Try turning the thermostat down degree by degree to find a comfortable temperature
• Unplug all chargers and turn off tablets, laptops and consoles when not in use
• Avoid turning on lights during the day unless you need them and make sure everyone turns off every light when leaving a room
• When making hot drinks, only boil the amount of water you need for the number of drinks you’re making at the time
• Wash laundry at 30 degrees unless it’s really dirty
• Remember, you need to ‘switch off’ too and plan regular breaks during the day when working from home – why not enjoy a walk in your local park or in the countryside?

For many more energy saving tips, support and advice to help you reduce your energy usage at home and save money, go to www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/tackling-climate-change-at-home.

As part of its commitment to the environment, East Suffolk Council is also urging people to ‘recycle right’ and waste less.

Cllr Mallinder said: “The majority of households in East Suffolk are good at recycling, but as we continue to deal with the challenges of climate change there is still a lot more we need to do to ensure we’re recycling the right items.

“Confusion can cause contamination, so we are determined to help households reduce the amount of wrong items they put in their recycling bins by making sure they know what can and cannot be recycled. This is important because there is a threshold of how much contaminated waste a truck load can have before it is rejected, so we need to make sure we are recycling right.

“East Suffolk Council declared a climate emergency last year and we all have a role to play in making better decision for the sake of our environment. By thinking about how we dispose of our waste and making the right decisions, we all contribute to a solution. These small changes in our behaviour will make a big difference over time.”

If you’re unsure which items can be recycled through your household recycling bin, please check the recycling guide at www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/recycling.