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Save £100s on...going green

As we all know, green is very now. With that in mind, there are ways you can save money while helping to save the planet. Just a few simple lifestyle changes can make a significant difference, writes Teena Lyons

Step one: Reduce your home energy usage.
Turn down
- Your thermostat by 1 degree to save up to £30 a year.
- Your washing machine to 30 degrees rather than 40 degrees and use around 40 per cent less electricity.
- Your hob and put a lid on saucepans so that the contents heat more quickly and uses less electricity/gas
- Your taps. Don't over-fill your kettle – according to Scottish Power, this practice wastes enough energy in a week to light a house for a day, or run a TV set for 26 hours.

Switch
- Off appliances rather than leave them on standby to save around £11 a year.
- Over to energy saving light-bulbs – they cost a bit more but can reduce your lighting costs by up to £9 a year.

Unplug
- Charging equipment when fully charged or it will continue to draw electricity

Step two: Recycle everything. Did you know that you could turn your old mobile phone into cash? Firms such as Envirofone, Mopay and Mobile2Cash will offer a cash value depending on the make and model of your phone. Once you've agreed to a deal you will be sent a postage paid jiffy bag to send the phone and charger to them – what could be easier?

Step three: Work together. According to one motor insurer, 59 per cent of commuters admit to driving otherwise empty cars to work each day, with just five per cent regularly lift-sharing. Lift sharing could potentially save hundreds of pounds each year by significantly cutting petrol costs, reducing wear and tear on your car and by keeping mileage down you can save money on motor insurance too. If you don't know anyone to share with, try www.liftshare.com to get in touch with other drivers or passengers.

Step four: Join a club. If you are one of the large number of UK households with two cars, but only use one for occasional trips, how about giving one up for a car club? Vehicle club Car Plus reckons they can save car owners who drive 6,000 miles or less between £1,000 and £1,500 a year. By joining a club, and paying a monthly fee, you can book a car for the days you need it and are charged for the time you use it.

* Teena Lyons is the former consumer editor of the Sunday Mirror. Teena's views represent her own opinions and are for general information only. Always seek independent financial advice.

This article was created: 8 June 2007.
This article was last edited: 2 July 2007.

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