Energy Efficiency & Recycling

Easy ways to cut your fuel bills:

With fears for global warming growing it makes sense for each household to do what they can to help contribute to the fight the problem. And it makes even more sense because if you make your home more energy efficient it will save you money. The average UK household is paying around £600 a year for gas and £400 for electricity - and the typical household can cut between £100-£200 a year off their fuel bills without losing either warmth or comfort by simply using energy efficiently and effectively.

Some facts:

• A forest approximately three and a half times the size of Greater London would need to be planted to absorb the CO2 emitted annually from UK housing.
• If every household in the UK installed three energy saving light bulbs, electricity equivalent to the output of a typical power station would be saved each year.
• If every household in the UK replaced their old fridge freezer with an Energy Efficiency Recommended one, electricity equivalent to the output of two typical power stations would be saved each year.

Top Tips to stop wasting energy and cut your fuel bills: 

• Turn your thermostat down. Reducing your room temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 percent and typically saves around £55 per year.Switch off unnecessary lights
• Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat should be set at 60°C/140°F.
• Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows and check for draughts around windows and doors
• Change to energy saving bulbs
• Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.
• Don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave laptops and mobile phones on charge unnecessarily.
• If possible, fill up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher: one full load uses less energy than two half loads
• Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you're using an electric kettle).
• Use energy saving lightbulbs
• fix leaking taps, a  dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath.

Recycling:

Every year the average Hammersmith & Fulham household throws away approximately one tonne of rubbish- the same weight as a car!

The council has been set a challenging targets by central government to reduce the amount of rubbish we send to landfill. To help us achieve this the council has introduced the Smart Sack kerbside collection service, the Smart Bank and a seasonal green garden waste collection.

Please continue to recycle as much as you can to help us reduce rubbish being sent to landfill.

Recycle Western Riverside is a 5 year Western Riverside Waste Authority campaign encouraging residents to recycle, reduce their rubbish and buy more recycled products. The campaign works within the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. See Western Riverside for details