It’s the fourth and final week of our Green Series and so far we’ve had a look at some fascinating methods of greening the world of hospitality. In week one we learnt about saving the world with linen and laundry, in week two about earthworm farms and veggie gardens, and in week three about water and window film. This week we’ll discover a few easy-to-use energy saving ideas which will benefit the environment, the hospitality industry, your home and your pocket!

Energy-saving ideas for hospitality providers

• Use energy efficient minibars and hair dryers
• Use LED light bulbs
• Have a computer at the front desk for guests to settle accounts with minimum use of paper
• Use recycled stationery throughout hotels
• Change drinking glasses in the bathroom from acrylic to glass
• Use room amenities (bottles and contents) made of biodegradable materials
• Install low flow shower heads in the rooms

Green and economic benefits

• Less impact on the environment
• Saves electricity and water
• Saves on amenity costs
• Less wasting of paper

10 energy saving ideas for your home

Here are a few simple ideas to help you save energy, money and the environment in your home.

1.   Kettle: boil only as much water as you need. Example: boil just over 250ml of water for your cup of tea instead of a full kettle of water.

2.   Dishwasher: fill your dishwasher before running the cycle. Semi-full dishwasher loads waste water, electricity and your money.

3.    Fridge: keep your fridge reasonably full, but don’t overload it

A fridge operates at maximum efficiency when full, but overloading causes it to use excessive electricity.

4.    Freezer:  either keep a list or know what’s in your freezer and where it is. This way the freezer will be open for a shorter amount of time while you get what you need. This applies to fridges too.

5.    Electric stove: make sure the bottom of the pot/pan covers the whole stove plate. Semi-covered stove plates waste heat and use unnecessary power.

6.    Microwave: defrost food in the fridge rather than the microwave. Defrosting food in the fridge is far more cost-effective than defrosting in the microwave.

7.    Lights, appliances and wall plugs: turn off if they’re not being used. Allowing lights, appliances or wall plugs to draw power when they’re not being used is wasteful.

8.    Washing machine: wash full loads of washing. Your washing machine should be full (but not overloaded) before it runs. This prevents water and electricity wastage.

9.    Tumble Dryer: use your tumble dryer as infrequently as possible. Tumble dryers use a huge amount of electricity. Rather dry clothes on a washing line outside.

10.    Geyser: install a geyser blanket or turn the thermostat down to 55 degrees Celsius. A geyser blanket insulates the geyser, preventing heat loss. Turning your geyser temperature down still keeps your water hot but uses less energy.

How much energy do you use?

For an enlightening idea of how much your life impacts your environment, grab your latest electricity bill, head over to www.trees.co.za and give their carbon calculator a go. You might be amazed at how many trees you use in a year!

For more info on ways to green the world of hospitality (or your home), check out our previous articles or download [download id=”3″].