Are you the person in your house always turning off the immersion or shouting about the lights being left on? Well your efforts may soon be recognised. Bord na Móna is on the search for sustainability heroes, the people and communities doing their bit to live more sustainably in a variety of ways – from the ordinary efforts, to the quirky and the inspirational. Check out more on www.facebook.com/BordnaMonaIreland.
From a consumer point of view, all these efforts also mean more money in your pocket. You may need to spend a little to accumulate the benefits, but architect Declan O’Donnell, who many also know as judge on RTE’s Home of the Year, says making small efforts really can pay off in the bills.
“As architects, sustainability and environmental design are a fundamental part of our roles, we’re immersed in it every day. When building a property, it’s central throughout the project, a key criteria. When building a new house, people can plan their home with sustainability in mind for every nook and cranny. However, if you are living in an older home, there is plenty you can also do to save money, while also doing your part for the environment.”
• Thermostat temperatures: Do thermostats really make a difference? Some may be sceptical, but they can reduce your heating bill by 20%, and it’s not just about money, it means people can be more comfortable in their own home. Depending on your heating system, you can opt for zoning – whereby your bedrooms, living areas and hot water are all zoned separately and you can programme them to work independently of each other, for example having your hot water coming on in the morning, while bedrooms are heated early in the evening. This requires some investment, but a cheaper option is simply putting thermostats on your radiators. We don’t need the kitchen to be as warm as the living room, as often you’ll have the oven on, for example. Similarly, you don’t need heat being pumped into your empty spare bedroom. You might choose to leave it on a low setting to avoid it becoming damp, but if no one is going to be in there, it doesn’t need to be the same temperature as your own bedroom. • Time your temperatures: Even if you don’t have the money to spend on thermostats at the moment, you can still make a difference to your heating bill by making better use of the timers on your immersion or boiler, controlling when the heating comes on and off. How many times have you been pottering away around the house only to realise the heating has been on for hours, sometimes unnecessarily. This might sound like an obvious suggestion, but you’d be amazed by the amount of people who haven’t taken the time to adjust their timers as the seasons change. • Window wipe out: You come in from a hard day’s work, switch on the heating, but still sit there under a blanket feeling cold. If you haven’t upgraded your windows in years, you are literally blowing hot air out. Single glazing offers you nothing, but opting for an upgrade, such as double-glazed, or even better, triple-glazed, windows will mean that you’ll immediately feel a difference in the comfort of your home. And with better insulation, it means turning on the heating less, helping you save on bills in the long run. • Attic insulation: If you are looking to reduce your heat loss even more, then insulation is key. In fact, it could reduce heat loss in the home by 30-40%. Insulating the attic is the first job, it’s something you potentially could do yourself, depending on your attic, and it could cost a few hundred euro. Insulating walls is a bigger job and depending on the house could cost a few thousand. A three-bed terraced house could cost between €3,000 and €5,000 and you could be looking at even more for a standalone, old farmhouse, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime job. Once it’s done, it’s done and you will feel a massive difference in your house. • Standby switch: You’ve relaxed on the couch and are ready for bed. In your chilled state you turn off the TV with the remote control. You might think that black box is sleeping away like yourself, but it is actually still working on standby mode. Just by simply switching the appliance off at the wall, you save up to 20% of its energy use. Yes, it may take longer for your favourite channel to load when you turn it on again, but when you think about the energy and money you save, what’s a minute or two out of your day? • Boiler bump-up: Bump-up the efficiency of your boiler by getting it serviced regularly. For optimum efficiency, reliability and safety, we’re talking about once a year. If your boiler has been sitting there for over 15 years, then it is considered old and you would need to think of an upgrade. Even at 10 years it isn’t working to the best of its ability. The technology is getting better all the time, so opt for a high-efficiency boiler, it might cost a bit more, but you could make it back in your bills. CLHealthy Break Away
If you haven’t gotten away on a break this summer, maybe now you are thinking of a last-minute deal. Or perhaps you had such a great time away, you are already planning your next holiday. Relaxing breaks away aren’t just good for your headspace, they can also be good for your health and travel search engine KAYAK.ie has analysed the top destinations worldwide for holidaymakers to help alleviate common allergies and reactions.
Psoriasis sufferers know well that a week in the sun can really help with that constant itch and Florida is one of the top destinations for those with that condition, given the sunshine state’s consistent sunshine, high humidity and natural UV rays.
September is the best time to catch the rays at a cheaper price, with rooms up to 37% in a three or four-star hotel, compared with the most expensive month.
The Wieliczka salt mines in Poland prove the perfect therapy for asthma sufferers with wanderlust. The antibacterial qualities that populate the air at these salt mines hold the power to soothe blocked and inflamed sinuses, allowing sufferers to breathe easy.
If you can’t stand those pesky mosquitos, but still want a burst of sun, Reykjavik in Iceland is one of the few destinations worldwide where tourists are guaranteed to avoid those insects – average hotel prices are cheapest in April at €99.
Finally, if you have coeliac disease and find it impossible to get good food when away, then you’ll find Austin, Texas, is one of the most coeliac-friendly cities in the States for those in search of a gluten-free diet abroad, especially the neighbourhoods of Allendale and Hyde Park. Tokyo, Japan is also a favourable place to travel to, due to the abundance of rice, seafood and meats in many restaurants.
Are you the person in your house always turning off the immersion or shouting about the lights being left on? Well your efforts may soon be recognised. Bord na Móna is on the search for sustainability heroes, the people and communities doing their bit to live more sustainably in a variety of ways – from the ordinary efforts, to the quirky and the inspirational. Check out more on www.facebook.com/BordnaMonaIreland.
From a consumer point of view, all these efforts also mean more money in your pocket. You may need to spend a little to accumulate the benefits, but architect Declan O’Donnell, who many also know as judge on RTE’s Home of the Year, says making small efforts really can pay off in the bills.
“As architects, sustainability and environmental design are a fundamental part of our roles, we’re immersed in it every day. When building a property, it’s central throughout the project, a key criteria. When building a new house, people can plan their home with sustainability in mind for every nook and cranny. However, if you are living in an older home, there is plenty you can also do to save money, while also doing your part for the environment.”
• Thermostat temperatures: Do thermostats really make a difference? Some may be sceptical, but they can reduce your heating bill by 20%, and it’s not just about money, it means people can be more comfortable in their own home. Depending on your heating system, you can opt for zoning – whereby your bedrooms, living areas and hot water are all zoned separately and you can programme them to work independently of each other, for example having your hot water coming on in the morning, while bedrooms are heated early in the evening. This requires some investment, but a cheaper option is simply putting thermostats on your radiators. We don’t need the kitchen to be as warm as the living room, as often you’ll have the oven on, for example. Similarly, you don’t need heat being pumped into your empty spare bedroom. You might choose to leave it on a low setting to avoid it becoming damp, but if no one is going to be in there, it doesn’t need to be the same temperature as your own bedroom. • Time your temperatures: Even if you don’t have the money to spend on thermostats at the moment, you can still make a difference to your heating bill by making better use of the timers on your immersion or boiler, controlling when the heating comes on and off. How many times have you been pottering away around the house only to realise the heating has been on for hours, sometimes unnecessarily. This might sound like an obvious suggestion, but you’d be amazed by the amount of people who haven’t taken the time to adjust their timers as the seasons change. • Window wipe out: You come in from a hard day’s work, switch on the heating, but still sit there under a blanket feeling cold. If you haven’t upgraded your windows in years, you are literally blowing hot air out. Single glazing offers you nothing, but opting for an upgrade, such as double-glazed, or even better, triple-glazed, windows will mean that you’ll immediately feel a difference in the comfort of your home. And with better insulation, it means turning on the heating less, helping you save on bills in the long run. • Attic insulation: If you are looking to reduce your heat loss even more, then insulation is key. In fact, it could reduce heat loss in the home by 30-40%. Insulating the attic is the first job, it’s something you potentially could do yourself, depending on your attic, and it could cost a few hundred euro. Insulating walls is a bigger job and depending on the house could cost a few thousand. A three-bed terraced house could cost between €3,000 and €5,000 and you could be looking at even more for a standalone, old farmhouse, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime job. Once it’s done, it’s done and you will feel a massive difference in your house. • Standby switch: You’ve relaxed on the couch and are ready for bed. In your chilled state you turn off the TV with the remote control. You might think that black box is sleeping away like yourself, but it is actually still working on standby mode. Just by simply switching the appliance off at the wall, you save up to 20% of its energy use. Yes, it may take longer for your favourite channel to load when you turn it on again, but when you think about the energy and money you save, what’s a minute or two out of your day? • Boiler bump-up: Bump-up the efficiency of your boiler by getting it serviced regularly. For optimum efficiency, reliability and safety, we’re talking about once a year. If your boiler has been sitting there for over 15 years, then it is considered old and you would need to think of an upgrade. Even at 10 years it isn’t working to the best of its ability. The technology is getting better all the time, so opt for a high-efficiency boiler, it might cost a bit more, but you could make it back in your bills. CLHealthy Break Away
If you haven’t gotten away on a break this summer, maybe now you are thinking of a last-minute deal. Or perhaps you had such a great time away, you are already planning your next holiday. Relaxing breaks away aren’t just good for your headspace, they can also be good for your health and travel search engine KAYAK.ie has analysed the top destinations worldwide for holidaymakers to help alleviate common allergies and reactions.
Psoriasis sufferers know well that a week in the sun can really help with that constant itch and Florida is one of the top destinations for those with that condition, given the sunshine state’s consistent sunshine, high humidity and natural UV rays.
September is the best time to catch the rays at a cheaper price, with rooms up to 37% in a three or four-star hotel, compared with the most expensive month.
The Wieliczka salt mines in Poland prove the perfect therapy for asthma sufferers with wanderlust. The antibacterial qualities that populate the air at these salt mines hold the power to soothe blocked and inflamed sinuses, allowing sufferers to breathe easy.
If you can’t stand those pesky mosquitos, but still want a burst of sun, Reykjavik in Iceland is one of the few destinations worldwide where tourists are guaranteed to avoid those insects – average hotel prices are cheapest in April at €99.
Finally, if you have coeliac disease and find it impossible to get good food when away, then you’ll find Austin, Texas, is one of the most coeliac-friendly cities in the States for those in search of a gluten-free diet abroad, especially the neighbourhoods of Allendale and Hyde Park. Tokyo, Japan is also a favourable place to travel to, due to the abundance of rice, seafood and meats in many restaurants.
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