Twenty ways to save money and be greener

There are many ways you can save some cash whilst doing your bit for the environment – just a few small alterations can make a huge difference.

1. Wrap the back of your radiator

Put aluminium foil, shiny side out, behind radiators to reflect heat back into the room rather than out through the walls. Specially-designed radiator foil from Wickes [http://www.wickes.co.uk/FOIL-INSULATION/Thermal-Insulation-Foil-Roll/invt/210022] costs just over a tenner.

2. Use energy-saving light bulbs

Use energy-saving light bulbs to save money on electricity bills. The bulbs themselves are roughly the same price as conventional ones, but they last much longer and are cheaper to run. Tesco [http://direct.tesco.com/q/N.1999382/Nr.99.aspx] have a selection of cheap options.

3. Avoid tumble dryers

These use too much energy! A clothes line, if you have space, is still the most efficient option. If you don’t have outside space, get an indoor airer like this one [http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000KLWAAW/ref=s9_sima_gw_s0_p79_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=05A2WJ1Q30VCQ4ATXT49&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467198433&pf_rd_i=468294].

4. Wash at 30 degrees

Higher temperatures use more energy and cost you more. Washing on a lower temperature is also better for the environment.

5. Keep the lid on

When you’re cooking keep all lids, covers and oven doors closed. More than 20% of heat can be lost each time you open the oven door. Similarly, water boils up to 6% faster with a lid on the pan, so making this tiny change will cut your energy bill on a daily basis.

6. Clear out the boot

Keeping stuff in your car boot that doesn’t really need to be there means you use more fuel and is an unnecessary waste – so clear it all out.

7. Install cavity-wall insulation

About 40% of all heat loss is through the walls of the average home. Insulation usually costs less than £500 and the average energy saving per year is £130-160. Find a registered cavity-wall installer here [http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Home-improvements-and-products/Home-insulation-glazing/Cavity-wall-insulation/How-are-cavity-walls-insulated]. You may even be able to get a government grant to help pay for it – find out if you’d be eligible [http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Easy-ways-to-stop-wasting-energy/Energy-saving-grants-and-offers/Search-for-grants-and-offers].

8. Buy loose fruit and veg

Loose produce is nearly always cheaper and better for the environment because there is no packaging.

9. Take your own shopping bags

Don’t use the free plastic bags offered – bring your own instead. If you shop regularly at Tesco [http://www.tesco.com/], you’ll earn one green Clubcard point for every bag you re-use.

10. Use up those leftovers

In the UK, 6.7 million tonnes of household food waste is thrown out every year. If you’ve cooked too much, save the extra in the fridge and use it up the next day. Recipes like stews, bubble and squeak, stir fries, curries and omelettes are great ways to use up leftover vegetables and cooked meat.

11. Use rechargeable batteries

These cost a little more than normal batteries initially but they’re much cheaper in the long run because they can be charged hundreds of times. For everyday battery use, these Duracells from Amazon [http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000G1662Y/ref=s9_sima_gw_s0_p23_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1VJNR29DMM9TN9MBR9X6&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467198433&pf_rd_i=468294] offer great value.

12. Get thermal curtains

Line your curtains with an insulating material or buy some ready-made to keep the heat in. For added insulation you can use foil insulation from Wickes [http://www.wickes.co.uk/FOIL-INSULATION/Thermal-Insulation-Foil-Roll/invt/210022].

13. Insulate your windows and doors

Use a draught excluder seal (available from Argos [http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0073219/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CGarden+and+DIY%7C14418702/c_2/3%7Ccat_15701055%7CHome+insulation%7C14418959.htm]) around your windows and doors to get rid of chilly draughts running through your home – and shave around £25 off your annual fuel bill!

14. Don’t drink bottled water

Britain’s tap water is very good quality and costs next to nothing, so why not use it? We use 2.7 million tonnes of plastic to bottle water each year and only about 10% of the bottles are recycled. Most go on landfill where they take 450 years to break down.

15. Recycle your printer cartridges

Make huge savings and do your bit to avoid the estimated 57 million cartridges that end up in UK landfills every year. Cartridge World [http://www.cartridgeworld.co.uk/environment] refill inkjet cartridges for about half the price of a new cartridge, or you can sell your used ink cartridges to Cash for Cartridges [http://www.cashforcartridges.co.uk/].

16. Send an e-card

Save some trees and your money with e-cards. You can send free e-cards from 123Greetings [http://www.123greetings.com/].

17. Recycle your mobile

There are over 80 million old mobiles lying around in the UK. If you have an old phone – get paid to recycle it! Go to an online seller like Mopay [http://www.mopay.co.uk/] or Mobile Phone Xchange [http://www.mobilephonexchange.co.uk/] and see how much money you can make with your mobile.

18. Be a Freegan

This involves rifling through bins at the back of supermarkets to get a hold of munchies destined for the scrap heap. Supermarkets chuck out about 5% of their food each day because they’re required to by law, not because it’s bad or harmful and you can collect it – for free.

19. Recycle your cans and computers and make money

If you can’t get enough of the fizzy stuff go to Thinkcans.com [http://www.thinkcans.net/] to find your nearest recycling centre who will pay you a small amount (around 40p) per kilo. Should you have an old PC knocking around – even one that doesn’t work – it could be traded in for around £50, or for a discount on a new computer. Try your local independent electronic retailer.

20. Use washable nappies

The average price per disposable nappy is 16.9p and with six changes a day that’s £7.10 a week or £922.74 over 2.5 years. You can buy all the reusable nappies (including waterproof covers and fastenings) you need for 2.5 years for around £50 at Boots [http://www.boots.com/en/Mother-Baby/Nappies-Wipes-Changing/Nappies/Reusable-Nappies/].

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