Energy/Money Saving Tips

[snowdaisy]

In superquinn kilkenny they have a bakery right inside the entrance that you have to walk through to get to the rest of the stuff, it makes your mouth water before you even put one thing in your basket.

My tip is to collect any old bits of copper piping left behind by the plumber or in skips. It can be nailed to wooden battens surrounding a veggie patch as slugs apparently get a little electric shock from copper and won't be able to get at your precious seedlings! More food in the long run = less trips to markets.

[kila2008]

Originally Posted by unapam

My dad always did that too. He called it putting the fire to bed! He used to mix slack (coal dust) with a little water to make a paste and plaster it over the fire where it baked and formed a crust which kept the fire alive until morning. A neighbour lady used to make this mix and put it into milk cartons and use them like briquettes on the fire later.

My granny used to do this with milk cartons & slack...she died when I was 7 but I remember her out in the shed filling up the cartons and begging her to let me fill some as I think I saw it as a bit of a game!!

[John Mahoney]

Tips to make your home energy efficient

• Use energy efficient Lighting like CFL, LED (SSL) and Solar Powered
• Use solar panels or geothermal energy for heating
• Install interior and exterior Storm Windows as it enables to save 40% to 50% of heat that gets lost through the windows.
• Properly insulate your home
• Use green energy rated heating systems
• Landscape your home effectively to conserve home energy

[John Mahoney]

All buildings are not the same .Neither are they located in a particular single geographical region. Their needs too may differ, for example whether it’s heating or cooling that you require or whether it’s both. (In which case which requirement prevails longer).The following information gives a better idea to plan this out.
• Climate prevailing at the site
• Space temperature you would be happy with.(low temperature setting will cause lesser loss of heat)
• Suitability, acceptability (by local regulations etc) and the convenience to insulate.
• Life span and durability (some are susceptible to moisture, material may settle soon and loose profile, may deteriorate faster etc.)
• Mode of heat transfer (whether conduction , convection or radiation is prevailing more)
• Building architectural design, orientation, use of glass in the building envelope etc. (for example whether outsulation is possible, air tightness, vapour permeability, forced or passive ventilation, possibility to use low-e insulated glass etc).
• Toxicity of the material (short term or long term)
• Sustainability, Carbon foot print, environmental friendliness and ability to recycle.