Have yourself a gloriously green Halloween! It’s nearly upon us once more – eek! So, with all the talk on energy efficiency and the importance of reducing our carbon footprint, here at the BestHeating office we were thinking what better time to start being environmentally aware than Halloween so we’ve put together a small list of ways you can be greener. No more spooky surprises when the bills come through!
Energy Vampires
Do you remember to turn off your TV completely? Or unplug your phone charger after use? No? Well, chances are they’re your energy vampires! When an appliance has standby power, it can sometimes use that power even when it isn’t directly in use.
It has previously been estimated that these energy vampires can amount to an entire month of electricity on your yearly bills, although this figure has been debated. Long after Halloween has passed, you might still be getting a fright at your energy costs! Best advice? Unplug your electrical appliances when not in use or, if that’s not convenient, use the on/off switch when you’re not using them.
British Gas says that leaving chargers in sockets does use energy and if it’s warm to the touch, then it is using energy.
Don’t let your energy vampires get you this Halloween. Image: http://green.nd.edu/news/17291-beware-of-vampire-energy/
Don’t Let Your Light Give You a Fright
Nothing says Howl-oween like gothic candles! Why not turn off the lights this year and create a truly haunting atmosphere? Spread them out around your living room and you ought to have ample light. Also, the candles warmth should be enough to turn your heating off too. Just remember not to leave them unattended.
Another way of keeping those monster energy bills down is to invest in some LED lighting or better still, some solar-powered lighting. Pumpkin shaped fairy lights, outdoor ghost ornaments or even spooky skull lights are just some of the solar-powered products available online, perfect for your green Halloween!
LED lights like this are great for energy efficiency. Image: ebay.co.uk
Cheat with the Heat
October 31st is a monsterific time to dress up and go all out with your costume design. The cheapest and easiest way of keeping the heating costs down is to wrap up. Literally. Cover yourself up in a menacing mummy costume, a hideous headless creature or a wicked witch outfit. It’s up to you – but prepare your costume before Halloween falls so you can pop on some thermals underneath or add more layers to make the most out of the façade! Failing that, just pull out your shark/tiger/monkey onesie and wear that instead. It still counts!
You’ll never be short of a costume again! Image: http://kigurumi-shop.com/
Ward off evil spirits by making sure your home is well insulated. Keep doors closed between trick-or-treating visits and for extra warmth get a draught excluder, or even incorporate one into your Halloween décor by making a ghostly version yourself!
For homes with fireplaces, 90% of the heat can be getting lost up your chimney (as well as any witches!). Sealing and insulating the chimney would be ideal as would installing a fireback. They can be costly but they improve the efficiency of your fireplace by absorbing heat and radiating it into the room.
As for your radiators, well some say that painting them black is more efficient at absorbing and giving off heat. Whilst a hair-raising colour for All Hallows Eve; this tip has been disputed. Though, there are plenty of black radiators on the market, if your colour scheme would allow.
Throw a party! Get all your friends round for a good, old fashioned knees-up. By having a lot of people in a small space, you won’t even feel the cold and you’ll be having too much of a good time to s-care!
Fang-tastic Recycling Tips
For those of you who don’t know, upcycling involves reusing old items and creating something useful. Great for a costume, decorations or some marvellously monstrous food.
Whilst you’re rummaging through your wardrobes, take a look at any old clothes that might look drop-dead gorgeous being made into a costume. Any old bed sheets can easily be made into ghastly ghost costumes and that make-up that you’ve never worn? Halloween is perfect for garish, bold colours.
For the kids, create a DIY costume from a cardboard box. Robots, horses, cars and Lego outfits are all super-simple. Two empty fizzy drinks bottles could also make a rocket jet-pack or a great scuba diving pack!
Image: http://www.packsize.com/green/9-of-the-best-cardboard-costumes-for-halloween/
Or try and source a costume on websites such as freecycle.org or even swap costumes with friends.
Once you’ve carved your pumpkin, use the seeds to feed the birds or to feed yourselves. There are plenty of delicious recipes online for that terrific (trick-or-) treat! If your pumpkin hasn’t started to go off then there are plenty of ways you can use it in baking or cooking. For some tips on energy-efficient home cooking, click here. If you’ve got a compost heap, cut the pumpkin into pieces and throw it on.
A few of these simple tips will ensure you’ll be well on your way to having a ghoulishly green Halloween, but also you’ll be keeping Mother Nature happy too!
In what ways do you try to be energy efficient? We’d love to see the ways you are going green for Halloween so if you’ve got any pictures or any tips send them to us via Facebook or Twitter.
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