Building a new home

If you are building a new home you will need all sorts of different professional trades people to handle all the various building stages of your home.  Just as you would hire a plasterer to do the plastering and a plumber to install your toilet and water pipes, you must also hire a fully qualified electrician to install all the electrical wiring in your home.  You should do your research before you hire an electrician, make sure that you are happy with his quality of work and that they are in fact fully licensed.  The electrician will put in all the wiring that runs to power points and lights, to any overhead fans and your air conditioner.  They will also connect the power to your heating system and appliances like your oven and dishwasher.

Maintenance

You might call out an electrician at various times to undertake maintenance on your home.  You may have a power point or light switch that is not working or you may have blown a fuse at the mains.  You should never try to fix any of these types of problems yourself, even if you are particularly handy.  Unless you are a trained electrician you can not be certain of what you are dealing with and you risk injury or even death by electrocution.

Repairing appliances

If any of your appliances, such as your Westinghouse fridge, the dishwasher, washing machine or dryer breaks down you will automatically call the repairman or a company that handles these specific problems.  It is likely that the person who comes to fix your appliance is in fact a trained electrician who specialises in certain appliances.

Sparks from power sockets or switches

You should definitely call an electrician if you notice any sparks coming from power sockets or light switches.  You should also call in a tradesperson if you notice any heat coming from the switch or socket, or if you get a mild electric shock when you flick the switch.  If you leave these types of problems you can risk yourself or one of your family members being electrocuted or having the house catch on fire.  Many house fires start because of faulty switches or power sockets.

Any additions to your home

You will need to call out a professional electrician if you want to put in any extra power sockets in your home.  This may be the case with older houses simply because during the era they were built people did not rely on so many electrical appliances so houses did not need as many power points.  It is dangerous to have cords running across rooms as they can become damaged and you can trip over them.  It is also not wise to have too many power cords attached to the one socket via a power board.

Honda has put the car through extensive testing before launching it this year and it’s absolutely packed full of technological improvements, slight restyling, ergonomic improvements and, as a bonus, it simply looks wonderful!

The new Honda Civic’s high-mounted rear wing has been adjusted to perfection to minimise drag and maximise fuel efficiency. Also, Honda’s innovative ‘Idle Stop’ and ‘Eco Assist’ systems have been fully integrated into the new model. Idle Stop works by automatically turning off the engine when the car comes to a halt, and re-starts automatically when the driver depresses the clutch, thus saving fuel and reducing emissions at the same time.

Eco Assist, meanwhile, works like a ‘coaching’ system – changing the colour of the speedo to tell drivers how efficiently they’re driving.

So, for example, when a driver brakes or accelerates really sharply – the speedo will glow blue to show that this isn’t really the best idea if you can help it at all!

Alternatively, when the driver is driving in a steadily smooth and economic manner, the display glows an appropriately soothing green.

But best of all, the Honda civic 2012 enables its drivers to drive efficiently without them even knowing it. The 2.2 i-DTEC version of the car includes an innovative front grille that automatically adjusts – at high speeds it tightens thus reducing air resistance and improving fuel economy.

In fact, the 2.2 diesel version delivers a very impressive 67.3 mpg – and it qualifies for reduced road tax due to its green credentials (free the first year, £20 a year thereafter at today’s rates).

Meanwhile, the two petrol engine versions (1.4 and 1.8 litre) each have a 6-speed manual transmission – while all three models include a shift indicator telling you the best time to change gear to maximise fuel economy.

Now really – has driving to save petrol, money, and the environment ever been easier?

For example, if you want an eco-friendly home, you might choose something like a dining table and chairs made of one of the most renewable woods available – bamboo. Bamboo is also very hard wearing and resistant, so you’ll get many years out of furniture made from it. You’re best looking online for eco-furniture suppliers.

If you want an old-fashioned style dining room, then you might want to go searching in antique shops to get the style you want. And when you’ve made your choice, you may have to spend some time restoring the furniture. If it’s particularly old, you may also encounter difficulties in getting a full set of chairs to go with the dining table.

Others prefer the modern look. With brand new furniture you can get exactly the kind of functionality you want. An extending dining table can be really versatile – especially if you have a small family but often have friends over for dinner. And you can choose from a range of different materials – glass and metal as well as wood.

If you’ve decided to buy a modern dining table, then have a look at some different furniture retailers like Harveys online. Once you’ve decided where you want to buy your furniture from, it’s best to go and look at it in person to make sure you’re really happy with it before you order it. Make sure you measure the space you have available for a table – in both folded and extended positions.  It is definitely not wise to buy a table that is too big for the room you have – you don’t want your diners to feel squashed against the walls while they’re supposed to be having a relaxing evening meal.

In my experience, the minute we have guests or visitors to the house, our energy consumption goes up. Not just energy used making up guest beds, cooking proper dinners and being an entertaining host, but also the energy used to make the house warm and welcoming. Were it left to me, we’d probably all be sitting around wearing thermals, extra jumpers and wrist-warmers, by the light of a couple of candles, but somehow, when guests arrive, that doesn’t seem quite good enough. At least with solar power, you can worry a little less about heating all that hot water for extra baths and showers.

Do I sound like a Scrooge? Maybe I am. Candles aren’t strictly necessary but it would be foolish to invest in solar power without taking other cheaper steps to keep your home snug for visitors. The guest room can be made warm and inviting by providing extra blankets or a quilt on the bed, and don’t forget the good old-fashioned hot water bottle. Draught proofing is dirt cheap for windows and doors. So is a tube of silicone to seal the gap between floorboards and skirting. A comfy bed makes all the difference to your guests’ quality of sleep – have a word with a specialist retailer like http://www.bensonsforbeds.co.uk for some great guest bed ideas.

Who knows, your guest room could turn out to be so snug and cosy, you’ll end up running a B&B!

]]> http://www.alternative-energy.everything-fine.com/snug-and-cosy-with-solar-power/feed/ 0 http://www.alternative-energy.everything-fine.com/the-green-bedroom/ http://www.alternative-energy.everything-fine.com/the-green-bedroom/#comments Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:03:02 +0000 George Sunday http://www.alternative-energy.everything-fine.com/?p=1204 There’s Zen, peace and harmony in my bedroom somewhere, but it appears to be concealed by a mountain of clothes that need putting away, my son’s confiscated toy crossbow and my husband’s boat-sized work boots collection. My dressing table ought to be chic and vintage, but instead it’s covered with tubs of moisturiser, hair products and make-up. Part of the battle is that I try to be green, so I find it very difficult to just chuck things away. I also love a bargain, so I’m forever getting great deals online or BOGOFs at the supermarket, and all these items need storing somewhere.

by o5com

The mantra is, of course: reduce, re-use, recycle. This applies to every room in the house. It’s a real challenge to be green, streamlined and budget-friendly, but here are a few ideas I’ve found worth trying for the bedroom:

1. Electric blankets are a waste of space during the many months that they are not in use. Much cheaper and more compact is the good old hot water bottle. Additional blankets can warm up single beds and cost nothing to run, or, to give a double-bed true wow factor, invest in – or even make – a patchwork quilt.
2. Cheap and floppy foam pillows are a false economy. You end up replacing them more frequently, as they break up after a few washes, and this is a waste of resources. Invest in a good feather or duck-down version. They are just as easy to wash and will last you for years and years. For more advice about the bed sale or mattress for your budget, get in touch with a specialist retailer like Bensonsforbeds.co.uk.
3. Soft, glowing, low-energy LED lights are excellent for romantic bedroom lighting, and, because they need less electricity, will save you money.
4. And finally – borrow suitcases from a friend to take on holiday. Luggage is expensive and generally sits around for 48 weeks of the year taking up space and gathering dust.