Angel or Devil?
How hard is it to live in an ethical way?
In this section we take up challenges to check out the pros and cons of a little lifestyle change.
Turning the house green...
Susie has been going on and on about making her new house green so this month we thought we would make sure that she did.
Next month - we see how easy it is if you live on a boat...
Previous challenges and results
Susie's Progress
Susie has vowed to turn her house into the very model of a sustainable home but it took her three weeks to get the energy efficient light bulbs in... What can she manage in a couple of months?
Week 1
Ok so - my starting point is...
The thermostat has been turned down. (I.e. Kim pointed out to me that the strange box in the corner I had been frightened of and so ignoring was the thermostat. This led to at least 10 minutes of excited pointing and knob twiddling... it is now quite exciting not to get scalded every time we put the hot tap on too.)
According to the Energy Savings Trust: Turning your thermostat down by 1ºC could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent and save you around £40 per year.
I finally got some furniture to stand on (honestly I was too short before!) so that I could change the light bulbs. I found that I hadn't actually got any screw ones though so need to get some asap.
Each energy efficient bulb saves you £7 per year and you can get them for as little as 99p. For everything you need to ever know about energy and cost savings as well as suppliers just have a wee look at www.banthebulb.org
We got a recycling bag from the council and in addition have the recycling place on the way to the train station so are pretty good at that. Plus I have now met 2 people I know there. Could this be the new place to hang out? (Ok perhaps that is a wee bit unlikely but you never know - I might meet the man of my dreams over a discussion on whether or not you should put the plastic 'bags' in the plastic 'container' bin....)
And erm - heating... well since it is 30 degrees and we live above a laundrette pumping out hot air it is not too much of an issue...
Which brings me too... some delightful chat about the toilet!
The hippo to reduce water when flushing is on order via Anti Apathy. (They are free if you fancy ordering one) and I got the recycled loo roll in.
In the kitchen - as I was getting them new the fridge and washing machines are A rated for energy efficiency and we are pretty well stocked on the fair trade / organic or local veg type things.
What else - hmmm - not sure.
I still have a pile of old batteries to get rid off but the nearest kerbside recycling place for those is Harlow... so might have to find another solution...
Maybe I can leave that till tmrw.
Mid-Week
Sweet success... followed by such calamity.
I had to do a shop (something I had been handily ignoring till we literally ran out of everything) and so pottered off to the local supermarket.
Which I found to be Morrisons. Not sure how this ranks in terms of supermarkets but there we go.
Anyhow - got loads of recycled toilet roll (Nouvelle 2 for 1) and... found that they sell energy efficient light bulbs. For 50p!! Well 99p but there was another 2 for 1.
Since I still needed some screw ones it was perfect.
I was therefore feeling unduly excited about that and excited further still when I found out how fun it is to hack away tiling with a hammer (must be repressed) as I started on redoing the bathroom.
My mate James came round to help with the plumbing. Which was all going swimmingly until....
We found that it has a misshape in the casting which causes a leak.
James told me that I would just have to make do with a bucket.
The thought of peeing in a bucket isn't a dream but looking at no other option I began to resign myself to it.
Thankfully moments before I called my house mate, Kim, to break the news (and advise her to make the most of the closest facilities before coming home) James poured some water into the bowl.
I was amazed that this wasn't causing general flooding and he noted my shock. I explained my concerns at which point he began laughing mercilessly.
I guess since it was only the cistern that was broken I should probably have realised we needed the bucket to flush the toilet rather than to use as the toilet.
The shame.
Ah well - one good thing is that it really shows how much water flushing takes which hammers home the need to conserve it.
Looking forward to getting my water saving hippo - but looking forward to getting the new toilet first!
Week 2
I got my hippo!!!!!!!!
So excited.
I would be saving so much water per flush if only... I had a toilet cistern to put it in.
Deary me.
The good news is though - that the new one has arrived.
After its installation may be we can have a ceremonial hippo placement. The long evenings just fly by round here!
What else.
Oh dear. Haven't done much else. Have separated out all of my recycling but it is still waiting in a pile in the corridor to actually go somewhere.
Actually - since I have kept all of the packaging from the moving of everything it is a bit more of a mountain than a pile...
Maybe that can be next on the list!
Week 3
Yeay the packaging has gone!
There was loads and loads and loads of it (grrr) but I just put it all outside on recycling day and voila it went to the big green recycling centre in the sky to be reincarnated as - erm - not sure - but hopefully cellulose...
As that is what I found is the most environmentally friendly insulation - something else I thought I had better look into since next year we will need an Energy Performance Certificate for all houses that are going to be sold next year.
Not that I am going to sell my house. But you know - best to be prepared.
My concern is that since I live above a laundrette that blows up hot air I wont actually need insulation. In fact with temperatures back to 30 degrees this weekend we need anti insulation...
Anyhow - my Dad's friend Nigel is coming to visit next week to help to rebuild everything I have been vigilantly knocking down (getting very excited but somewhat carried away with the DIY!) so will ask him about it.
And - in fact - how the heating system works, how the electrics work, how the water works.....
The poor man - he knows not what he has let himself in for...
Week 4
A busy week indeed. Not entirely sure what happened in fact as my brain is still trying to catch up.
It means that there has been only a little bit of activity on the house. Most of it not by me.
Nigel has been amazing and now I have walls back and everything. (Does that count as environmentally friendly in that walls help keep out drafts...?)
He has assessed though that I have basically no insulation and electrics that are dubious to say the least.
I do have a boiler with thermostat and energy efficient bulbs but not yet sure about cavity wall insulation (or indeed if I have cavity walls...)
But I need to find out as these are the basic things to check in terms of making the house more efficient.
I also would love to get some solar powered water heating such as that provided by Powertech but considering I am having trouble buying beans on toast at the minute I'm not sure when this dream will happen.
What is a help though is that householders (as well as communities/ businesses) are now able to get grants through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.
If you are thinking of trying to make a bit of energy yourself then why not have a look.
Anyhow - will hopefully make even more inroads this week. I'm thinking composting.... ahh the fun never ends! x
Weeks 5 and 6
Argh insanity.
So much going on.
Very little DIY or doing any greening. Have been failing miserably. Having said that extra insulation for the hse hasn't been top of my priority list in the 36 degree heat.
Still no harm in sorting it out sooner rather than later I guess.
Am getting some information sent through about home combined heat and power supplies though it might be a wee bit out of budget (i.e. more than £2.50) and wont be available till Jan next year.
And - erm - what else? We nearly have a shower (well we have a pipe and a shower but they are not yet at one with each other in a happily connected way) but are still using the 'chucking water over yourself with a jug' technique so as not to need a full bath.
Oh and since it is so darn hot - boiling of kettles, cooking and using any hot water has all gone down dramatically.
Might try to be extra good and just live off strawberries (well they are seasonal) and maybe just a teeny tiny bit of ice cream.....
Week 7 & 8
The living room is painted.
Along with most of my clothes, books, general possessions.
But - although the matt was of the environmentally friendly variety - the gloss wasn't.
And - to make it worse - it needed to be removed with turps.
Argh.
The tiny DIY shop on my street just didn't have any alternatives and - since I really did get the paint EVERYWHERE - I had to get something to remove it as quickly as I could.
I haven't even figured out what else I could have used.
Maybe I can before attempting the kitchen.
We have now got a shower - thank the lord - so no more chucking water over ourselves with a jug to avoid deep baths.
Mind you - the joy of having one has meant that I am not really being as speedy as I should be.
Will be good next week - I promise - and get round to the insulation.
You will have to take my word for it though as next week we will be looking at... Turning the Boat Green...
|
Angel - 0% Devil - 0% |
|
Lara's Comments:
Ollie's Comments:
Well, well, well,
I was looking forward to writing countless witty retorts to Susie lazing on the couch eating her body weight in biscuits. Then professing that she was saving the environment because she was watching Eastenders in the dark and flushing the toilet every other day.
But no is this a new and super motivated Susie I see (I say this in jest as she does loads of stuff on the site and would rather do a six day desert marathon than run down the street after the ice cream truck with me!).
She's single handedly made her house more energy efficient in just one week, if Susie can do it there isn't much excuse for the rest of y'all out there now is there?
Has she insulated her boiler though? And what about the wall cavities..?
Hmmm perhaps jobs for next week. Well done Susie ten Eco-Brownie points for you so far!!
Results of week 16 challenge - Ethics in the unknown
Results of week 15 challenge - Ethics under pressure
Results of week 14 challenge - An impressive package
Results of week 13 challenge - Listen and Learn
Results of week 12 challenge - No TV
Results of week 11 challenge - Use, use and use again
Results of week 10 challenge - Slow as you go
Results of week 8 challenge - Saving Water
Results of week 7 challenge - Eating seasonal food
Results of week 6 challenge - If you don't ask you'll never get
Results of week 5 challenge - It's all talk
Results of week 4 challenge - Smiling
Results of week 3 challenge - Create things
Results of week 2 challenge - Energy efficiency
Results of week 1 challenge - No meat
