Was saving money one of your new year’s resolutions? Do you want to cut back on your spending after the festive period or generally just be more money savvy this year? DriveElectric have put together a list of our top 10 green money saving tips to help you do so. These are ideas that the team have tried or are going to test out in 2019. Hopefully some of the tips below will help get this year off to a good start and create greener future for you and everyone around you!
1. Drive an electric vehicle
Of course we were going to suggest this – we are the electric vehicle leasing experts after all. Driving an Electric Vehicle opens up plenty of ways you will save money from reduced fuel costs to other things like lower maintenance costs, lower running costs and if you’re based in London there’s no congestion charge to pay.
2. For shorter journeys walk or cycle
Electric vehicle or not, is every journey you make in your car essential? Think about walking for shorter journeys, and for those trips that are a little further than you can walk, try cycling. By doing so your weekly travel costs will be reduced and your emissions will be lower. You’ll also get the added benefit of a spot of exercise too.
In the UK it’s Clean Air day on the 20th June 2019. If you are unable to leave your car at home for the day perhaps you could make a pledge to so something else to help reduce air pollution? Even something as simple as checking your tyres are inflated will make your car more efficient and less polluting: there are lots of handy tips available on the Clean Air Day website.
3. Practice green laundry habits
Cold water washes keep you washes 30* or under, wait till you have a full load of washing (your machine uses more water when running two half loads than it does for one full load), head outside in the summer dry clothes on washing line. Another tip would be to do your laundry at night as some energy providers charge more during peak hours when the demand for power is high (depending on your tariff).
4. Turn your heating down a notch
If you turn down your thermostat a notch or two, you could save a lot over the year on your heating bills.
5. Get a re-usable water bottle
Bottled water is usually no better for you than your typical water from a tap, but if you have a thing about tap water then buy a water filter. This could save you money over time, also saving the planet from plastic waste. You can then get yourself a reusable water bottle for when you on the go. (Reusable coffee cups are much better for the environment too and there are some discounts available if you turn up with your own cup in certain shops.)
We’ve just had a quick walk around DriveElectric HQ and 65% of the people at their desks at the moment have a reusable water bottle with them – we think that’s pretty good. But we haven’t benchmarked this against the other offices in the area, we can feel a twitter poll coming on.
6. Read your favourite newspaper or magazine online.
Reading the online edition of your newspaper of choice or your guilty pleasure magazine is usually cheaper than buying the print version. Some newspapers offer cost saving subscriptions and apps you can use read when you’re on the go. The great thing about online news is that you are also helping the environment by reducing waste through consuming less paper.
7. Turn your devices off when you’re not using them, unplug when your done
Conservation of your devices and appliances is one of the key things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint around the home. By switching off your devices you could see a significant reduction in your energy bills as well as lowering your carbon footprint.
8. Switch to a 100% green energy provider
Changing your energy provider to a company which uses 100% renewable energy is a great eco way to save which anyone can do. Making the switch is simple and easy, you can compare and search the different tariffs online.
9. Use energy saving light bulbs
By swapping your normal light bulbs in the home with energy efficient alternatives, you could save on your energy bill vastly over the year. And it might be the obvious one but turn off your lights when you leave the room.
You could also walk around your home wearing a head torch in the evenings… is that a step too far? Going to bed earlier could be a workable compromise to the head torch idea – the lights in your home can go off a bit earlier, and you can feel well rested in the morning. Win win.
