Want to save energy in your living room?

 

 

 

 

Apart from the kitchen and perhaps a study, the living room is one of the greatest users of energy in the home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Draw the curtains at dusk to prevent heat loss and make sure your room is well protected against draughts.
• Check the temperature!   It is important to be warm, particularly if you are not moving about but perhaps keep a throw on the sofa to take the edge of those chilly evenings rather than turning up the thermostat.
• If you have an open fireplace that is not in use, try a chimney balloon to prevent the loss of warm air.
• Ensure your radiators are not blocked by the sofa or any other large peice of furniture.
• Think about your lighting, do you need it for reading or watching the television?  Make sure you have appropriate lighting for your activity – there are many more energy efficient light bulbs on the market than most people realise.
• Ensure the television and the equipment linked to it is turned off when not in use – no standby!
• If there are items that need to be plugged in constantly, use a separate socket so that all those not in use, can be turned off at the wall.

 

 

Did you know…

… that many televisions are left on their factory settings which means that they are far brighter than is needed for the home -the brighter the TV is set, the more energy it uses.   You will also find that the bigger the TV, the more energy it uses.

1 hour of watching TV:

 

15’’ LCD TV: 34 grams of CO₂

32’’ LCD TV: 88 grams of CO₂

42’’ plasma TV: 220 grams of CO₂

 

 

Top Tip Activity

Observe an eco-sabbath and have no television for one evening a week (or a day if you can).  Fill your time with other things; read a book, play a game with the kids, do some gardening or go for a walk (but take your brolly)!

 

Want to do more?

Consider investing in an intelligent mains controller so that all the equipment linked to your TV (video recorder, DVD player, games controllers etc) are automatically switched off whenever the TV is turned off.  If you don't want to purchase a controller, clear a space around your plug sockets to make it easier to turn items off at the mains, or invest in an individually switched extension lead.