If you’re anything like me, you’re probably looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint and help reduce global warming. One way of doing that is by ensuring you’re using a renewable energy source. Solar Power is one of the most popular in the UK. So today I am asking, “How sustainable is Solar Energy?” Within this piece, I will examine how cost effective it is to have Solar Panels installed at home. I’ll also explain how to ensure your home electricity supplier is using renewable energy sources, not carbon.

This is a partnered post

How Sustainable is Solar Energy?

In the UK, the term “Renewable Energy” is used more than sustainable energy is. Both mean the same thing though –  It is essentially something which can’t run out, or is endless – like the sun. This means Solar energy is a better option than carbon, as we are running low on that! I am talking about Coal here, of course – not carbon fibre.

Non Sustainable Energy Sources

When I think of non renewable energy sources, I immediately think of Coal. It isn’t the only one used in the UK though. Gas and Oil are also non renewable energy sources. These are sometimes referred to as fossil fuels, and the places they are generated tend to look like this…

Nuclear power is another non sustainable energy source. It is also something I feel we should be phasing out across the globe. The UK alone has 15 functioning Nuclear reactors at the time of writing. Douglas Healey knows a lot more than I do about the American situation though.

Installing Solar Panels At Home

If you had installed Solar Panels at home before March 2019, you’d have been eligible for the Feed In Tariff. This meant you were paid for the energy you put back into the grid. Additionally, you were paid for what you generated and used yourself. The fact this has now ended has lead to a dip in the number of people choosing to install Solar Panels on their property.

Things are looking up though. From this month, all UK energy suppliers have to offer a Smart Export Guarantee. This is an obligation set by the government for licensed electricity suppliers. They now have to offer a tariff and make payments for electricity exported to the National Grid… Providing certain criteria are met. It’s frustrating that you car taxed on these “earnings,” though – especially if you have paid to have your panels installed.

So How Sustainable is Solar Energy?

So, when considering the question, how sustainable is solar energy? There’s not much to consider – It’s as sustainable as you or I. It’ll be there for as long as the Sun is, and once that’s gone, we won’t be here either.

Solar power is a clean, green electricity, which is sourced from sunlight or heat from the sun.

Solar energy is a free, renewable source of energy, which is sustainable, as well as inexhaustible. Additionally, Solar is a non-polluting energy source. It does not emit any greenhouse gases when producing electricity, either.

Finally, if this post asking How Sustainable is Solar Energy has been useful… Check out this post on ways to make your home more energy efficient.

If you’re anything like us, space is of a premium in your garden. Whether you don’t have space for a shed, or your budget won’t stretch to one… There are solutions out there. With that in mind, today I’m sharing 5 thrifty garden storage hacks – which won’t break the bank!

5 Thrifty Garden Storage Hacks

1). Storage Buckets

Plastic toys are my absolute nemesis. Between the kids and the dogs, out garden is constantly littered with plastic tat. How about upcyclng an old shelving unit and then using buckets to keep the kids (or dogs) garden toys tidied away between use?

Full Instructions Here

Which Of These Thrifty Garden Storage Hacks Is Your Favourite?

When it comes to space saving garden ideas, I could go on forever. Today, we’re focussing on small garden hacks which don’t break the bank though. I love the idea of repurposing old objects like in the next of these garden storage hacks.

2). Storage Under Seating

This bench from B&Q is just one option. This one costs £90. You can easily fit your gardening tools in here, or the cushions from your outdoor seating. We have foldable picnic chairs in ours, so we can literally pack them away when they aren’t needed.

Image Credit

If you cant stretch your budget that far, what about getting the tools out and making your own?

3). Pallet Gardening Table

I remember my Grandad having one of these on the back of his brick shed many years ago. It was his potting bench, and he loved that it could be hidden out of sight when not in use.

My grandad’s had padlocks on the sides, so it stayed shut flush with the wall. This also meant the grandkids couldn’t get hurt by it.

I’m pretty sure my Grandad’s had a door on the front too, so he could store seeds and small tools inside the front pallet. Double whammy of space saving storage!

Full Instructions Here

4). A Vertical Herb Garden

Rather than using valuable space in your garden for your herbs, why not opt for a vertical herb garden? This cute one was made with an old pallet and some paint! It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Full Instructions Here

5). Garden Planter Storage

If you’re handy with a saw, how about whipping up some of these garden planter storage boxes? I love the one pictured below, showing the concealed hose pipe. (The hosepipe is by far the most unsightly thing in our garden, and I hate those wall mounted reels).

Full Instructions Here

Finally, I hope these thrifty garden storage hacks have been useful. Why not check out my lifestyle category for more ideas and suggestions.

When it comes to interior design, I am the first to say I”m not an expert! That’s not to say I don’t have a ton of ideas… It’s more that I struggle to pull them all together. When a friend said she was designing a modern bathroom for her new extension, I couldn’t help having a look for ideas and inspiration online.

*Collaborative Post*

Designing a modern bathroom

Some of the key aspects of a modern bathroom are: Wall hung toilets, counter top basins and illuminated bathroom mirrors. When it comes to toilets, a white, wall hung cistern with a soft close lid seems to be the way to go. These toilets look like they are defying gravity, and are suspended from the wall, as if by magic. (The reality is a metal frame which has to be hidden behind the wall). Sinks should be placed on top of counters, rather than being freestanding basins. (Similar to the one pictured below).

The Bath And Shower

Modern bathroom design tends to mean a freestanding bath, rather than one which is flush to the wall. Side panels are a thing of the past! If your budget can stretch to a spa bath, it’ll tick even more modern bathroom design boxes… Not to mention unwinding with a glass of wine even more blissful!

If you have space for a freestanding shower, a wet room effect allows for a more modern look. This means you can say goodbye to the ugly shower tray! A glass screen is definitely more modern looking than a traditional shower curtain, too!

Unfortunately for my friend, she doesn’t have space for a freestanding bath and a shower cubicle, so she’s gone to Harrogate Bathrooms for help designing her bathroom. I don’t blame her in the slightest! Between us, we had no idea which tiles to go for, and how to make sure she got the right kind of spotlights.

Storage Space

The good thing about designing a modern bathroom is that it allows for plenty of storage space. Counter top sinks mean you can opt for a decent sized cupboard or drawers under your sink. You can also choose floating shelves and alcove type shelving as well.

Personally, I’d opt for close fronted cupboards or drawers rather than open shelves like those on the top image. Closed fronts make it easier to hide the clutter, and make your space look sleek and modern with very little work. If you’re hoping for a contemporary space, this is the type of design for you!

Keeping It Clean

Modern bathrooms are definitely easier to clean than more traditional designs as well. A wall hung toilet is a breeze to mop under – we’ve got these in our house! I love that our spa bath is self cleaning too. You fill it up, pop in a cap full of cleaning solution and run the jets. No elbow grease required! That, combined with the extra storage makes designing a modern bathroom a great option for families.

Finally, if you’ve enjoyed this post, check out more of my home and garden posts.

Chances are you’re well aware of how you can save money by switching energy suppliers… Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade! You search online for the best deal for you, then you apply to switch from your current supplier to your new one. It’s a great way to save money on utility bills. It is still time consuming though. I, for one haven’t done it for a good 5 years. Imagine if you could switch suppliers automatically…? Read on to find out how you can make that can happen!

*Collaborative Post*

Save money on utility bills

As mentioned, you can save a fair amount of money by switching energy suppliers. But it’s yet another job to add to your to do list annually. If you register for Look After My Bills, (also known as LAMB) they can do it automatically for you every year!

How It Works…

• You sign up for the website. (Which takes just a couple of minutes, as long as you have your last gas and electric bills to hand). 
• The Look after my bills team search far and wide for the deal which will save you the most money, based on your family’s usage.
• They arrange for you to be switched to the new supplier.
• You save money.
• When your deal ends, the look after my bills team will repeat the process on your behalf. So you will once again get the best deal – without lifting a finger!
• If you don’t like the company that look after my bills select, one quick phone call within 14 days will cancel the switch.

They don’t just consider the amount of money you’ll save, though. Some energy companies don’t have great customer service, so LAMB say it’s not worth moving to them for the sake of a couple of pounds.

The best deal for you depends on where you live and how much energy you use, so you may not get offered the same rate as your auntie jean who lives alone, 200 miles away.

More About Look After My Bills…

If the brand name sounds familiar, it might be because they were on Dragon’s Den. LAMB got the best deal in the history of the show, by selling just 3% of the business to the dragons.

What does it cost?

The Look after my bills system costs you nothing to use. They make money by being paid commission from the energy supplier they switch customers to. You save money on utility bills, they make money from the provider, for introducing you.

Look After My Bills already have over 100,000 members. They are the most established energy switching company.
The service can save people on average, £251, while some people have saved £400 a year.

I registered for the service myself, to see what all the fuss was about and this was what I was offered…

I currently pay £173 per month, with Eon. So that definitely ticks the save money on utility bills box! Hubby and I both work from home, so use a LOT of power. This is a massive saving for us, and definitely one I will be taking.

Finally, if you enjoyed this post, why not check out my lifestyle category!

We live in a new build house so aren’t lucky enough to have a basement. One of my close friends does though. We were talking last week about how you can add natural light to your basement. This got me thinking.

*Collaborative Post*

Adding Natural Light To Your Basement

Most UK homes with basements date back to Victorian times. They tend to have small egress windows, which let in very little natural light. My friend’s new house is a Victorian Mid Terrace with a basement. There is electricity down there, and she wants to use the space as an office / guest bedroom. She hoped to create something like this, but with a sofa bed and a desk, rather than a double bed.

Unfortunately, the egress window was blocked up years ago when the front garden was paved. (I guess the previous owners wanted a driveway more than a fire escape from their basement)…! This now means that for her, adding natural light to the basement isn’t going to be a quick fix. She can either dig up her driveway and get the Egress window replaced, or consider other options.

Walk On Glass Floors

I mentioned structural glass floors to my friend, and she didn’t understand what it was. Once I explained it’s essentially a window in the ceiling, she began to consider the logistics of this. The front of her house is her lounge, and definitely not somewhere she would want to add a glass floor. Her kitchen, however is bright and modern, with huge bi – fold doors along the exterior wall. She decided a walk on glass floor wouldn’t look out of place there.

Image Source

Personally, I would want frosted glass, rather than the transparent pictured above. I can imagine transparent glass would show every mark. Also, I think I’d feel exposed if people in the kitchen could look down, into my bedroom or office.

UK Planning Law

It is worth noting that for a room to be recognised as a bedroom, it has to have TWO exits. In most UK basements, one would be the basement stairs, and the other would be the Egress window. If the Egress Window is reinstalled, my friend would be adding quite a lot of value to her home. If she opts for the walk on glass floor, it’ll be less outlay now, but probably won’t add much value to her property. If you’re considering reinstalling the window, Salford Double Glazing may be able to help.

Fake It

There are several ways to add the illusion of natural light to your basement. These include opting for a bright colour scheme, placing lots of mirrors in the room and opting for metallic finishes rather than dark wood. Add some upwards pointing wall lights. These will add a pop of light without being too bright. It’s worth keeping your space as clutter free as possible, too. The more clutter you have, the less light will reflect.

So, whether you’ve got an egress window or not, there are plenty of ways to add brightness to your dark space. Finally, if you’ve enjoyed this post, why not check out my lifestyle category.

Not changing energy suppliers is something that most people are guilty of. Probably because it feels like it’s going to take lots of effort and messing around. But in reality all it takes is a couple of minutes online, (or a few phone calls), and you could save yourself a good amount of money each year. There are multiple ways you can make your home more energy efficient, which not only benefit your pockets, but the environment too.

*Collaborative Post*

Make your home more energy efficient

There can be an expense when it comes to making your home more energy efficient, but the costs in the long term are minuscule, and they mount up to savings in the long-term too… Especially if you plan on living in your home for the foreseeable future.

Be aware of what you’re using

Using a smart meter or asking your energy supplier for an audit can show you where you use most energy. This, in turn can encourage cutbacks if needed. You could also be wasting a lot of energy that you don’t know about. (It’s scary how much energy hairdryers and tumble dryers use)!

Make your home a little smarter

Like above, smart meters can help you become aware of where you’re spending the most money. They allow you to cut back if you can, and are a great tool to help you reduce your energy consumption. You could also try a Smart Strip Surge Protector which can be really clever at cutting your devices off if they’ve not been used for a long time. They are a great way of making your home more energy efficient. Turning the heating on and off from your phone can also ensure you’re not using it wastefully. It also means that if you forget to turn it off when you’ve left for the day, you can do so easily.

Energy-efficient appliances

When was the last time you replaced your washing machine, oven, microwave, refrigerator or television? Really old devices can eat up a lot of energy which is really wasteful. So ensure that you’re using it efficiently with appliances that have an Energy Star seal of approval. Your kettle also uses up a shed load of energy, so ensuring they work efficiently can really make a difference. We use a one cup instead, as they just boil one cup’s worth of water at a time.

Make the switch to LED

If you haven’t already made the switch from traditional incandescent light bulbs to LED bulbs, now is the time to do it. For a quick and easy way of making your home more energy efficient, LED bulbs are the way to go! They might be more expensive to buy, but they’ll burn brighter for longer. They use less energy to run them, and emit less heat too. Remember to make the change in all your lights… Even the small ones you might forget about like bathroom uplights or under cabinet lights in the kitchen. We switched to LED bulbs around 6 years ago, and I haven’t changed a single bulb since!

Solar panels

By far the biggest expense you’ll see, but by far the biggest return! When it comes to your energy bills in the future, solar panels will quickly show reductions. The amazing thing is, if your home is generating more energy than you’re using, you can sell what’s been created to the big energy companies.

Fix drafts and cracks

It’s important that your home keeps the cold air out and the warm air in. You can help ensure this by keeping on top of cracks in the wall and fixing any cold drafts through sealing holes etc. They can make a big difference to the warmth of the house, and ensures that the heating that you’re paying for isn’t escaping out of the house too.

Finally: If you’ve enjoyed this post, why not read more from my lifestyle category?

Our house was built in 2005. It’s a 3 storey Mews style home, and it has the same windows and doors as every other house on the estate. While they aren’t exactly ugly to look at, I am more of a fan of traditional features. Unfortunately for us, moving isn’t an option thanks to negative equity. With that in mind, we’ve been looking for ways of adding traditional style to a new build home.

*Collaborative Post* 

Adding Traditional Style To Doors:

The first thing I’d change is the front door. It’s a solid wood door with a glass panel semi circle at the top. This door lets next to no light in, and our hallway is extremely dark as a result. I’f rather have something with more glass, and a more traditional style… Like the one pictured here! I thing adding traditional style to your new build home makes them more individual.

Window Choices:

Our windows are another thing high up my list of things I want to change. At the moment, we have mostly single door opening windows. These are great for evacuating in an emergency, but it’s next to impossible to have them open and keep the kids and dogs safe when you live in a 3 storey home. Summer is usually a long, hot season on our 2nd floor!

With that in mind, I have spent a great many hours looking at alternative window styles. I’d love to be able to go for these replacement sash windows, but unfortunately, they aren’t practical when you have 2 dogs and 2 young children to keep safe. My plan B is a more likely to be in the Georgian style. When I was a child, I always drew a + symbol in the middle of windows on the houses I drew. Each window was effectively split into quarters. I have always loved that style of window.

When I was a child, it was fashionable to put lead diamonds onto your windows. While I don’t dislike this as such. I have always preferred the more traditional look of wooden beading separating each small pane of glass. Like this…

Adding Traditional Style To The Kitchen:

When it comes to the interior of our home, the biggest changes will need to happen in the kitchen. At the moment, it is black gloss and very modern looking. I long for a country kitchen setup – I’m thinking Range cooker, cream or ivory cabinets and solid wood worktops. (I’d go for lighter cabinets, and not traditional wood finishes to try to keep the room as light as possible).

We have solid wood worktops now, and I love them. To be honest, I’d be happy to just keep them, and replace the doors and end panels on the units. I think replacing or even wrapping kitchen doors and worktops is a great option to add a little traditional styling to your home.

We have built in appliances at the moment, but I would go back to freestanding ones. Built in ones are a total headache – we’ve and one problem after another with them.

Finally: If you’ve enjoyed this post, why not check out more of my lifestyle content?