Is it me or is your electricity bill seemingly rising month on month? All energy costs are going to do is go up, and not down, and that is a fact of life, energy costs will continue to rise, so what can you do?

So you have read up on energy conservation? Maybe you have, and as a result you have ditched all of your old “Traditional” bulbs and replaced them with “Low energy” bulbs, but in reality how “Low energy” are these bulbs?

Or maybe you have not, and if so well read on, as you are probably wasting a fortune each month on wasted electricity due to your bulbs.

Well for a start even the low energy bulbs that are now being sold in shops as like for like replacement bulbs are still using far too much electricity, certainly when compared to LED bulbs.

Why is this? Well firstly LED bulbs use around one tenth of the electricity of a “Normal” bulb. Indeed a “Normal bulb” wastes a staggering 90% of its energy in heating gasses and not actually providing light. That is right, a normal bulbs electricity usage is spent 90% on producing heat and not light.

So let us think about that some more – most of the energy into the bulb makes heat and not light.

Crazy is it not? And that is where LED downlights come of age. It is quite literally the best, most energy efficient form of lighting on the market today. It lights up instantly and as such means it is the ideal form of lighting for visually impaired people.

Not only that but as I said at the start it is the “Coolest” form of lighting going, as virtually all of the energy is fired into providing light and not heat. This means that the bulbs save you energy on more than one front. Also they do need any warm up period that other bulbs need. Simply hit the switch and they are on.

Accordingly they are “On” with no fuss, heat or drama, straightaway.

They are now available in a wide range of fittings meaning that they can be used as a like for like replacement, and are ideal for replacing modern halogen bulbs.

They are also available in a wide range of colours and virtually all LED lights can be dimmed, thus these two features make them great for mood lighting applications.

So if you want to cut down on your electricity bills then take some time to look at LED lighting today.

Looking for a gift for a friend who has it all? We’ve all been there. It can be very hard to find something for these people when birthdays or holidays come around. And what if they’re a very eco-conscious person? That used to make the task even harder. But now, that’s no longer the case. With so many green products out on the market today, it’s easy to find green gifts for your environmentally friendly friends. Here’s a look at a few of the top green outdoor gifts.

Solar Fountain

Everybody loves water features for the tranquil atmosphere they create. There’s nothing like coming home after a long day at work, sitting down on the patio, and listening to water gently bubble from your fountain. But you know what can make that even better? Having a solar powered fountain! Not only do these things save money by cutting electricity costs, they remove the need for any wires running across the patio or lawn and give you an eco-friendly option for decorating your home. Tabletop models, birdbaths, tiered fountains – there’s a solar fountain style out there for everyone!

Compost Bin

If you know someone who loves to garden, you can’t go wrong with a compost bin. These are one of the ultimate in green outdoor gifts, letting you reuse natural resources to help your plants grow and thrive. There are tons of models on the market today, so whether you’re looking for something large or small it’s easy to find what you want. And using a compost bin couldn’t be easier. Just put in your compostable goods, like egg shells, cardboard, and yard trimmings, let them sit, and over time you’ll have a great fertilizer to add to your soil. Cheap, natural, and green – what could be better?

Rain Barrel

We all know water bills can get expensive, especially if you have a large yard or a lot of plants to take care of. A rain barrel makes an easy way to cut those costs down by reusing one of nature’s most precious resources. These products are exactly what their name implies – large barrels that sit outside and gather rain. When you need some water for your lawn or garden, simply go to it, open the spout and you’ve got what you need. It instantly cuts your water costs and helps the environment by not letting such an important natural resource go to waste.

Solar Lights

Just like water bills above, electric bills can be a pain too. If it’s large outdoor space, it can take a lot of lighting to keep it well illuminated. The solution? Go with solar lighting. This is truly a gift anyone can appreciate, as it lets you keep your home well lit and doesn’t cost anything to run. You just place the lights in your yard, let them charge all day and store the sun’s power, and then let them run at night. Many even have automatic sensors to turn them on when the sun goes down, so there’s not even minimal work to do. From path lights to wall lanterns, you can find all sorts of solar lights to match any decor.

Next time you’re shopping for that hard to buy for person and need some green gift ideas, keep these 4 in mind. They’re sure to be appreciated!

Marissa Alan is a writer with OutdoorLiving.com/learning-center/ and loves to write about solar technology. For more on products like solar fountains, rain barrels, solar lighting, and fire pits, visit OutdoorLiving.com.

With both environmental and financial savings to be made, getting green at home is pretty much essential these days. The green mantra reduce, reuse and recycle isn’t limited to composting and rubbish filing on collection day, it can be applied to every room in the house – including the bathroom. Here’s our guide to green bathrooms.

Water Saving Showers

If everyone in the UK cut their shower short by just 1 minute, we could save £133,000,000 a year in fuel bills and 1 million tonnes of CO2 as a nation. Water saving showers are a great way to reduce usage even more – the design incorporates a high use of aeration within the spray, which reduces water use and can save the average family up to £125 in annual utility bills.

Energy Saving Light Bulbs

Energy saving light bulbs are standard practice in many homes, with new homes required to install at least 80% of fittings as energy savings. However, there are still energy guzzling designs on the market, many of which come in the guise of bathroom, strip and spot lights – shop wisely.

Water Efficient Toilets

Up to 30% of all household water used is via the toilet – low or dual flush toilets are designed to use approximately 6 litres less water than standard models. Toilet hippos are a great way to reduce usage in standard designs by being placed in the cistern and reducing water volume by up to 50%.

Grey Water Recycling

Incorporating grey water recycling into the very fabric of a home is still a costly affair, but is logical and efficient, with water from the shower, sinks and bath are used to flush toilets. Alternatively, green warriors may choose to siphon used bath water into a water butt for use on the garden.

Solar Heated Water

Up to 25% of annual energy costs are attributed to heating water for bathing, washing etc. Solar water panels are a great way to combat this energy use – easily installed, ideally on south facing roofs, the free energy of the sun is used to heat water, which can be used for ambient heating, or heated a little further for washing.

Half Size Baths

Sacrificing a bath all together can save huge amounts of energy and water, but simply cutting the proportions of the bath can also drastically reduce waste. Half size baths are a great compromise, quite literally half the length of a standard design, they use half the resources but allow the user to get completely under the water.

This Guest Post was provided by Homebase – buy everything you need online for new bathrooms.

Everyone has furniture and accessories left over from the time before they developed a feeling of responsibility towards the environment.  So if you’re finally ready to start a living-room redecorating project, you probably want to do it in an eco-friendly fashion this time around.  But even if you’ve been implementing green practices into your lifestyle for a while, you might not have a good idea of how to go about enacting a remodel that will reduce your carbon footprint.  Here are just a few ways you can keep the planet clean and green even as you beautify and update your space.

You should start by keeping waste to a minimum.  If you haven’t heard of the three Rs, now is a good time to learn to reduce, reuse, and recycle.  You can reduce your waste quite simply by finding ways to keep unwanted items out of the landfill rather than tossing them in the trash.  One method is to reuse them, and there are several ways to do it.  Your comfy couch, for example, may not fit your new design aesthetic.  But with some updated upholstery you can make it work in your new space.  Wooden furnishings can be given a fresh coat of paint or even moved to other rooms in the house for a completely different use.

Your other option is to recycle items that are still useable but that you no longer want or need, and you should make every effort to find them a new home.  You might be surprised to discover that someone will pay a few bucks (or more) for your old furniture and accessories, so try hosting a garage sale or posting on Craig’s List.  Otherwise, simply call local thrift stores to see if they offer a pickup service (many do), or drop them off yourself on designated donation days.

Now comes the fun part: redecorating!  And there are plenty of ways to go green here, as well, starting with the basics.  Paint should be of the low- or no-VOC (volatile organic compound) variety to avoid harmful toxins that could pollute your interior air for years (potentially causing all kinds of health problems).  And believe it or not, you can find eco-friendly hardwood or natural stone flooring by visiting vendors that deal in reclaimed (and often refurbished) items.  Even better is the fact that you’ll only pay a fraction of what you would for brand new.

All that’s left is furniture and accessories.  For couches,  a reclining sofa, chairs, tables and other large furnishings, look for estate sales in your area to attend as a way to find nice pieces for less cost (and less environmental impact).  And think about spicing up your space with offerings from local artists (cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions produced during shipping).  As for accessories like lamps, just throw a new shade on the old base for an updated look.  And if you need a new TV to finish the makeover, opt for an energy-saving LED model that will draw only a small percentage of the electricity used by other sets.  With just a few small concessions, you can make your redecorated living room fit your eco-friendly sensibilities (and you can probably save some money in the process).

Leon Harris writes for Sofas and Sectionals where you can find an assortment of high end furniture by brands like Palliser and Berkline.