Havant Tesco - the story continues

It is good news to see Tescos have delayed the expansion and rebuild of their Havant store. The delay is due to pressure from green groups such as Friends of the Earth in Havant and others. It would be better if the store wasn't enlarged, however Tesco do intend to build a bigger store with new green technology at a later date.

The green technology may include wind turbines and rain water harvesting. Unfortunately even a low carbon Havant Tesco will still attract shoppers in their cars from a wide area, encouraging them to increase their personal/family carbon footprints. Also more often than not, cheap produce results in a higher carbon footprint.

Previous posts about Havant Tescos:

Havant Tesco's
Havant Tesco battle not over yet

Reducing That Electricity Bill - Victory!

Good news came by snail mail today in the form of the electricity bill. Having carried out all the changes outlined in my previous posts, i have found that my electricity consumption has reduced by some 20% when compared with the same time last year.

The improvement is despite the fact that the weather is colder than last year, so it is harder to keep warm, dry clothes etc.

Really, my quality of life hasn't changed a lot. I still use the computer a lot and watch TV just as much, but focusing on the energy intensive issues, such as laundry, cooking, heating water etc. I managed to make a significant change.

Considering that about 34% of our electricity is currently produced from coal, it shows that many power stations could be shut done with out many changes to our lives (a 20% reduction in coal use for electricity, equates roughly to a 35% reduction in electricity CO2 emissions).

Summary of energy saving tips I used:

1. Never use a tumble dryer
2. Invest in a stand alone spin dryer (for occasional use after the washing machine)
3. Turn down thermostat on heater a few degrees and wear thermal underwear
4. Always use lids on the saucepans
5. Dry clothes naturally outdoors or indoors (making sure of adequate ventilation indoors and use appropriate room)
6. When using kettle, tip excess boiling water in vacuum flask for use again in kettle later.