How to Save Fuel and Money

With the ever increasing cost of fuel, it surely makes sense to look for alternatives now.

Everywhere you look costs are rising. Gas, Electricity and don't mention Oil the price of which is up and down but the trend is inevitably upwards.

So what can the ordinary person do about it?

Well of course a many of the issues are out of our control but there are steps we can take to minimize the effects, both environmentally and monetarily.

Five steps to reducing consumption. These may seem obvious but are we implementing them?

1/ In the home, have you increased the insulation in the roof space (this is the main area of heat loss in the home)

2/ Have you installed "Cavity wall insulation"? In the UK grants are available and for the disabled installation is free.

3/ Sealing draughts around doors and windows is a very inexpensive but effective way of reducing heat loss.

4/ Transport...... This is the bone of contention with many environmentalists and of course where you live and your lifestyle impacts on your transport choices.

However we can all help to reduce carbon emissions very easily. Do you still take the car for short journeys? Walking may seem a chore but once you get into the habit of walking it is surprisingly good. The health benefits alone make it worthwhile and you are saving fuel, money and the environment.

5/ If the public transport where you live is of a good standard why not use it? it is more sociable than the car, you can meet very interesting people.

However, the main benefit is in fuel saved and the impact on the environment. Go on give it a try.

What else can we do?
How about producing your own electricity? "Oh that costs a fortune to install" I hear you say. It's true to say that professional Solar or Wind Energy installations are expensive and probably the savings for most people don't warrant the expenditure. However there are some superb DIY guides now available which take you step-by-step through building your own windmill and solar panels very cheaply. Two of the guides available show how to do this for less than $200 including all the materials.

How much could you save by building your own power supply? Well how much are your electricity bills? It is claimed you can produce more than your own requirements and sell power back to the utility company. How cool is that?

We all need to be more conscious of the amount of energy we are wasting if not for the money to be saved then for the future of our planet and future generations.