Recent Comments

1. Switch To Energy Saving Lightbulbs - 31 Aug 2006

   3 blown bulbs and can’t dispose of them environmentally.

   I have fitted quite a few low energy bulbs – but had 3 (which were all the same type) blow within 2 months – within days of each other! This was a bit of a worry because they would have required far more energy than filament bulbs to manufacture. They also contain lots of nasty chemicals, but the nearest recycling place I could find was Basingstoke, Hampshire – and I’m in Somerset! Does anyone know any more about recycling these bulbs? Also how does the environmental impact of the manufacture/disposal compare to a filament bulb?

   I’m off to try and find some decent LED bulbs to replace my MR16 and GU10 halogen bulbs. I’ve tried one manufacturer, but they’re a bit blue and dim.

2. Improve your home's energy efficiency - 31 Aug 2006

   Not looking forward to adding another 8” of insulation to the loft to make it 12” – but it has to be done!

3. Use 'real' nappies - 31 Aug 2006

   No problems using real nappies, but the Sumdgling gets a disposable at night, or if we’re changing her when we’re out. But disposables do have a nasty chemically smell.

4. Slow Down, Calm Down (Stick to the speed limit) - 31 Aug 2006

   This is a hard one – but we’ll try. We do get an overall 55mpg when we manage. It’s difficult on motorways because we get stuck between the lorries doing 50mph and the cars doing 80mph!

   Tough for those who do many tens of thousands of miles a year on unfamiliar roads and just want to get home quickly!

5. Switch To Energy Saving Lightbulbs - 24 Mar 2008

   The quality of energy saving bulbs has got a lot better recently. Have been able to find bulbs that fit small light fittings and produce a decent light – Megaman seem work well.

   Had to change all my recessed MR16s (which each had their own transformer, which didn’t like low energy bulbs) to GU10 – so that was a lot of work, grovelling around in the loft. Have replaced some of my exposese GU10s with LED, but they are not as bright (and very expensive), so still need a couple of filament bulbs there for now.

   Dimmable CFLs are still quite expensive – especially if you have room with 8 recessed lights! Buy 1 and see if you like it before you buy a room-full.

6. Improve your home's energy efficiency - 24 Mar 2008

   Except where the junk goes, the loft now has 12” of insulation. So who thought of timberframe houses without cavity walls then?

7. Stop Taking Plastic Bags From Shops - 24 Mar 2008

   We have a fine selection of re-usable bags – but the problem is remembering to take them with us!

8. Switch To Good (Green Or Socially Resonsible) Energy - 24 Mar 2008

   We signed up to “Good Energy”, which comes exclusively from renewables. (We were a bit surprised when the costs went up because electricity wholesale costs had risen because oil prices had risen! Why does renewable energy cost more when oil costs more?)

9. Put Your Money Where Your Heart is (Bank Ethically) - 24 Mar 2008

   Mrs Smudge is with Smile, but I stuck with NatWest becuase they are the only bank that has bothered to keep branches open in the villages round here.

   I was quite shocked when I started looking into the pension funds (they were just standard retail funds). Loads of tobacco, oil, defence companies. So check out ethical investing!

10. More tea vicar? (Don't overfill your kettle.) - 24 Mar 2008

    Mrs Smudge bought me an “Eco Kettle” which has a boiling compartment and a reservoir. You can select exactly how much water from the reservoir goes into the boiling compartment (which also saves going back and forth to the sink). What surprised me was how fast boiling

    just one cup

    was!

11. Use 'real' nappies - 24 Mar 2008

    With one baby, we managed quite well, but with 2, we’re using mostly disposables till things settle down – we’re lapsed at the moment.

12. Drive Yourself Carbon-Neutral - 26 Mar 2008

    Well, I’ve paid for carbon offsets for our 2 cars and the domestic gas we use (we’re on renewable electricity). It came to £55 for a years emissions. This seems too good to be true – so it probably is. But “climatecare.org” seemed to answer all my obvious sceptical questions.

    However, it does seem so cheap compared with, say, the £1800 cost of converting my car to run on LPG, which would reduce its emissions by 30-40%ish. Or cheap compared to £2500+ to fit solar powered water heating. (I am still looking into these option anyway).

    Well I’ve done it now. Time will tell whether I’m a mug or not.