While that may have been true in the past, recent technological transformations in the market for “green” products has changed all that. These changes have made being green no longer the reserve of the fanatical or wealthy, there are now a wide range of eco-friendly tools for everyone.
Energy saving devices to make your home more environmentally friendly don’t always have to involve a major investment. According to the CEA, consumer electronics account for 13% of home energy use and can cost up to £145 a month by just being left to charged or on standby. There are several companies, including ‘Green Plug’, that give devices the exact amount of power they need. Once fully charged, “Green Plug” automatically cuts the power, saving energy and money, and a worthwhile investment for the environmentally conscious.
The waste and recycling advisory body says that households binned £13bn worth of food, yet the mess and smell put many people off having a compost pile at home. New technology can help here too, by simplifying the process of reducing all the food that ends up in landfill. The ‘Zera Food Recycler’ by Whirlpool can break down a week’s worth of scraps into homemade fertilizer within 24 hours. The design of these products has also improved significantly, most food recyclers now look more like average bins.
Several large electronic brands have entered the ‘green’ market in recent years. Just a few years ago, LG introduced a new ultra-fast, eco-friendly washing machine which fits more clothes in a single load, reducing the number of cycles. This washing machine inarticulacy can reduce energy usage by 50% compared to average washers. While expensive, lower energy bills means it soon pays for itself while using less natural resources. Another water saving device comes from Nebia, who have brought in a shower system turns liquid into millions of tiny droplets. This creates the sensation of more water, while in fact much less is used. The start-up claims that this system saves as much as 70% of the water used in traditional showers.
I’m sure you’ve noticed the growing popularity of LED lighting. The benefits of LED lighting have been enhanced in recent years through the introduction of controlled energy-efficient lighting. This type of lighting includes custom-made hardware that can adjust switches from anywhere. Neurio Technology can also help. Neurio offers a home energy monitor that lets you use your smart phone to track your energy usage in real time. To add the monitor to your home’s electrical panel, all you need is to connect the app to the monitor and your phone will show you graphs of how much energy each appliance is using and length of usage. It’s a great way to see an overview on how you use energy, and ways you could save even more.
So many industries that once heavily relied on paperwork are now moving everything to websites and apps, making it not only more convenient and cheaper, but much better for the environment. For example, the property industry, which used to rely heavily on paperwork is shifting more and more towards technology. Property management software can help landlord’s keep track of expiring EPC certificates, among many other checks like gas safety and general maintenance.
If you’ are a landlord looking for a way to track workorders, consider using Arthur Online property management software. Arthur Online allows you to assign workorders to contractors and track the status of maintenance repairs, cutting down on emails and phone calls.
