Elephants in living rooms, the rising of machines - Phew!

"Hasta-la-vista Baby"

The 'Rise of the Machines' report - you might be forgiven for thinking you'd stumbled across a remake of a Schwarzenegger blockbuster and not a report by the Energy Saving Trust, and yet, 5 years ago, that's exactly the title they gave their report into increasing power usage in the home due to the infiltration of technology and other electrical devices.

Five years later, they've published their follow up report. No not Judgement Day but 'Elephants in the Living Rooms'.

It's a silly title with a huge message - energy consumption in homes around Britain is barely in check as the number of electrical devices requiring charging or a suitable mains plug continues to grow. Computers alone have grown from 30 to 65 million between 2000 and 2009.

We may have energy efficiency ratings for most household appliances, and these have had a very positive effect on overall energy use - the worst culprit - fridges - have dropped from being the number one power guzzler to number 3, and by 2010, are expected to be even more efficient and further down the listings.

And with some devices taking on dual roles - printers that double as scanners etc - it would seem we're well on top of energy use.

Not so - Despite more energy efficient goods, the sheer numbers and the fact that so many are being left on standby rather than being switched off completely, means at todays rates - we could miss our 2020 CO2 emission targets.

As one blogger put it: "the number of everyday devices that seem to need a charger when we go on holiday means a whole bag dedicated to chargers".

Of course there are positives - Laptops, which use only 15% of the energy consumed by a desktop PC, are set to treble in numbers in the next 8 years. And it's very hard to buy a fridge with anything less than a 'B' energy rating (in fact 85% of fridges now sold are 'A' rated).

And of course, we're starting to get the message about not leaving lights on when not in the room - 91% say they are in the habit of turning off lights when not in a room but only two thirds are doing it all the time - sometimes, a little bit more than just the thought is required.

What's the answer? Change our beloved gadget habits? Choose manual operation instead of a remote controlled method? Or just sit in the dark with a candle? The Elephant in the Living Room points out that there is still so much we can do and whilst the electrical devices around our home might be spawning, if we're sensible about not leaving chargers permanently plugged in or TV's, their surround sound and numbers game consoles on standby, then we might just have a chance.

Rather than 'No Problemo' - If we don't re-evaluate our energy usage habits, then it's surely 'Hasta-la-vista Baby'?

photo credit: pasukaru76

Solar hot water efficiency - it's all in the installation.

People's consumer champion Which has revealed the results of a an Energy Saving Trust trial into Solar Hot Water panel systems.

One of the key findings was that for maximum efficiency and return on investment, it was vital that the installation included:

Insulating pipes and tanks
Getting the right size system for your home's requirements
Setting up pumps and timers correctly.

Whilst a correctly installed and used solar hot water system could provide up to 60% of a home's hot water needs, a poor or incorrect installation could provide just 9%.

Read the Which report here.

Currently, although there's no 'payback tariff' for solar hot water like the tariff's for solar electricity, the Renewable Heat Premium scheme (which runs until 31st March 2012) is offering homeowners a £300 grant towards installing a solar hot water system.

photo credit: moonlightbulb

The Government wants me to be a green driver - I thought I already was?

Yes - the Government wants you to be a green driver. The sum is simple - reduce the mileage and you reduce the CO2.

Amongst their suggestions is car sharing for trips to work, walking rather than driving to places under 2 miles away (schools etc), car sharing with other parents for school runs, planning your journeys to take in appointments / work with shopping rather than making separate journeys... and on it goes.

They even suggest shopping online and having your groceries delivered rather than all driving to the supermarkets ourselves.

Did you know that 75% of people live within 2 miles of a national cycle route?

Unfortunately, many of us live in the real world - you know, the world where buses run once an hour before dropping you off at least 30 minutes walk away from your work-place. Where car sharing equals 'thumbing a lift' and to cycle would mean leaving the house an hour earlier. OK but only when the sun shines!

Sure there are always going to be occasions when you could walk instead of take the car and its up to the individual to take advantage of these opportunities as fuel costs continue to rise and car ownership in general is more costly.

Or perhaps you're exploring a hybrid vehicle of some kind for your next car?

The Energy Saving Trust website has loads of practical suggestions for cutting down your own personal car usage - including links to a national scheme of car sharing - remember to stay safe out there people!.

photo credit: skippyjon