Most people want to do their bit for the environment but are stuck in the mindset of ‘I’ll start being greener next month’ or ‘I’ll be more energy efficient in the new year’ and they seem to lack that motivation to start making some changes.

Well, if the well being of the planet does not motivate you enough, how does saving some cold hard cash grab you as an incentive?

This article aims to provide some energy saving tips and to highlight some of the potential monetary savings if they are followed.

Hints and tips for energy saving:

Insulation

This is a great place to start as insulating your home is probably the single most effective way of reducing your energy bills. Lofts and walls can be insulated with a layer of non-conducting material whilst pipes can also be insulated to ensure minimum heat loss.

Many people are under the illusion that insulating your home would be expensive, but in the age of a heavy environmental conscience, there are grants available that can mean getting your house insulated for next to nothing.

Even if you do have to pay for your house to be properly insulated the huge savings annually will soon mean that the insulation has paid for itself, and then some!

Cavity wall insulation will cost around £500 but it will afford savings of £130-£180!
Loft insulation will set you back around £230 with annual savings of up to £220!

Switch supplier

Visit www.energywatch.org.uk to find out whether you are paying over the odds for your gas and electricity, switching to a green tariff could save you money.

Make sure that if you have moved into a new house you check your bills straight away, do not just settle for the suppliers that you inherit as the previous owners of your house could well have been a little lazy with regard to checking their bills and tariffs.

With a possible annual saving of £100-£200 it is definitely worth looking into.

Unplug your electronics

Turning your electronic products off properly and not just leaving them on standby will make a notable difference, over the period of a year you can save in excess of £20.

You could even use your savings to buy a solar powered charger for some of your electronic devices such as your iPod and mobile phone!