What little things have you done

[Saul Goodman]

My new electric shower is more efficient than firing up my un-lagged 3KW tank on a Sunday, but I don't get to easily soak my laundry in it and then flush the loo with the water ... When I first had it I was religiously using it once a week

Sheer decadence!

 

[PTK]

Changed the electric heating to a wood burner in the workshop garage - installed a pot-belly ...

We will still use the electric unless working for hours, as it takes a while for the pot-belly to warm up.

The idea is to use the branches which are too small for the living room stove. [which has such a strong draw up the chimney that anything under a couple of inches diameter vanishes in a few minutes ...]

Electricity can be produced without the emission of greenhouse gases, but burning wood emits carbon dioxide.

 

[WouldBe]

Electricity can be produced without the emission of greenhouse gases, but burning wood emits carbon dioxide.

But carbon neutral ish.

 

[PTK]

But carbon neutral ish.

I think it is carbon positive. Burning wood puts carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that would not be there.

 

[WouldBe]

I think it is carbon positive. Burning wood puts carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that would not be there.

That's already been taken out of the air by the tree growing in the first place.

 

[PTK]

That's already been taken out of the air by the tree growing in the first place.

The same applies to coal and oil.

 

[StoneRoad]

I think it is carbon positive. Burning wood puts carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that would not be there.

Actually, the wood I burn is from branches trimmed from trees I planted ... so, in this case it is carbon negative, as more carbon is captured than released.
[Carbon cycle on the small scale]

 

[WouldBe]

The same applies to coal and oil.

No it doesn't as coal and oil don't grow.

 

[Aladdin]

We got solar panels with a big battery which can store about enough to run a fridge if needed....They work well.and they feed back into the grid every day. We figure that we are probably supplying the other 7 houses on our road with electricity.
The good thing is there is hot water most mornings Occasionally the boost button needs to be pressed.

The gas heating isnt turned on much...only if for below 10c... Two energy efficient electric heaters heat the rooms we are usually in. Conscious of the octogenarian staying warm so the heaters are wherever they are. I've a good winter duvet that's very warm. I didn't need to heat my bedroom at all last winter. I have an electric blanket which I turn on for 20 mins if I'm really cold.
Trying to be as careful as I can about rubbish and switching off lights. For the past 2 years we have small battery driven lights that come on with a sensor. They're on the stairs and all over the house. Saves turning on a light in the middle of the night going to the loo.

 

[oryx]

Pleased to report that the supermarket is now selling pouches of handwash (about time), so I have been buying these and reusing the bottles.

 

[PTK]

No it doesn't as coal and oil don't grow.

Coal and oil were produced by the transformation of living organisms. The carbon in them was extracted from the atmosphere.