The average person uses up to two thirds of their total energy consumption while at home, which is a huge chunk of your carbon footprint before you’ve even set foot near a car. A lot of this usage is due to electrical appliances – and the great news is it is possible to save on your energy consumption in this area without buying a new appliance.

For some time now small products, which go by a range of names including “Machine Balls”, have been available for use when doing laundry. The main washing product lets you wash clothes thoroughly but without using any washing powder. These products usually contain various minerals and salts and genuinely are as effective as standard powder but without the chemicals. There’s also a version available for tumble drying, a necessity in winter, which work by helping separate fabric and allowing clothes to dry quicker and therefore the machine is in use for less time. Brilliantly, these products are also infinitely cheaper than washing powder or running a tumble dryer for a long period of time and they work just as well.

There’s plenty of items available for general cleaning, too. There are substitutes for your usual, chemically harsh products that reduce the damage to the environment while still remaining effective. Look around the internet and you’ll find an eco-friendly version of every type of product you currently use, from washing up liquid to furniture polish, and there is little or no difference in price. As well as this, there has been recent innovations for products that require no water or cleaning product at all, as the fabric used is designed in such a way that it cleans even stubborn stains by itself.

The key to household cleaning and being eco-friendly at the same time is looking for products which use natural ingredients only. Some products may also biodegrade quickly, reducing disruption to aquatic life when you’ve washed them away. The growth in the popularity of eco-friendly and natural cleaning products has made all of the well-known manufacturer’s take notice and all are now bringing out their own ranges, meaning you can match the relibility of a well known brand with being kind to the environment. However you do it, using eco-friendly cleaning products will have a dramatic effect on your energy consumption and the overall effect you have on the planet.

The truth is, nowadays, green energy is just as reliable as the standard sort – if not more so, when you consider huge price rises aren’t going to be part of the package. What you see it what you get and while installing may seem expensive, the benefits to your budget and the environment is infinitely worth it.

The most commonly known type of green energy is solar power, where the light from the sun is turned into electricity using specially designed solar panels. These solar panels are becoming more and more visible, as the world cottons on to the need to protect the environment and find renewable energy sources.

Then there is wind power. So-called ‘wind farms’ are springing up everywhere, both on land and in the sea. These generate a huge amount of electricity and are probably the best hope for a truly sustainable energy source. The power is harnessed by wind turbines, specially built three-blade windmills. A huge development is currently in place off the Norfolk coast to build turbines actually in the sea, which harness the power of the incredible sea wind. That annoyance that blows sand in your face while sunbathing could soon become what heats your home.

There are other methods, too. Water has been used to create power for years and new ideas for utilizing it are becoming more prevalent. There is a system in place in Northern Ireland which is harnessing the power of the tides, called the Marine Current Turbine, which though still in a developmental phase is doing extremely well. It essentially works like a wind turbine, but underwater.

New ideas for green energy are being invented all the time and some may soon be powering your kettle soon. For the first time, inventors are not creating things to ease human lifestyle, but to possibly save the planet. This is only the beginning for green energy.