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Personal Finance From a Biblical Perspective

Climate Change Levy: What’s the Score?

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[The following is a guest post about ways to reduce business energy and more specifically to lower the government taxes associated with excess energy consumption.]

In April 2001, a new environmental energy tax was introduced, known as Climate Change Levy (CCL). In an effort to encourage businesses to be more wary of their energy consumption, the CCL is an initiative that aims to make businesses of all sizes more energy-efficient, while common sense and energy efficient products could help them to do so.

CCL is a tax that is placed on energy delivered to non-domestic users to help reduce carbon emissions, minimize environmental impact and reduce energy costs. In short, with the help of suppliers such as British Gas business energy, business owners will be hit less by the CCL if they are more considerate towards their environment and reduce the costs incurred by the energy consumption.

Climate Change Levy

The levy forms part of the UK’s Climate Change Program and is charged on ‘taxable commodities’, such as gas, electricity and LPG. Whether these commodities are supplied for heating, lighting or general power for businesses is irrelevant – the CCL applies to all of it, if you’re in the industrial, commercial, agricultural or public sectors.

Luckily, although it’s charged on petrol, it’s not charged on road fuel due to the existence of excise duty already.

As a business owner, you will see the CCL as a separate line on your energy bills. As of the 1st April 2012, the rates for gas and electricity rose to 0.177p per kWh for gas and 0.509p per kWh for electricity.

While being more energy-efficient will reduce the CCL you will incur (due to less energy consumption), if you need more information about how to minimize the CCL you’re charged, you can fill in an Energy Savers Report which will advise you on what you can improve within your business to make your energy bill healthier.

Even the smallest of changes can help reduce your consumption and the impact on the environment. From changing light bulbs to energy-saving alternatives, to switching electrical equipment off when not in use, can save you huge amounts over the year – particularly if you get your staff members on board.

Look into energy-saving options today and implement an incentive plan to encourage your employees to join in too. You’ll notice the difference in your energy costs almost immediately.

How To Reduce Fuel Consumption By Avoiding These Bad Driving Habits

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[The following is a guest post telling how to reduce fuel consumption]

Bad driving habits are sometimes dangerous and almost always costly in some way. This means that doing whatever you can to break your bad habits and become a better, more conscientious driver is a very good thing to do. You could even save yourself a decent amount of money on gas and car insurance quotes, so it’s worth considering.

Read on to find out about some bad driving habits that push up prices, and how to overcome them.

Reduce Fuel Consumption By Avoiding These Bad Driving Habits

 

Driving Too Fast

One of the worst bad driving habits is driving too fast. Not only is this sometimes illegal, depending on the speed limit – and therefore often dangerous – but it also means you end up paying more than you need to for gas.

This is because cars have certain speeds where they are more efficient than others, and too much rapid acceleration and driving at high speeds can mean you end up paying the price. Slow down, and you’ll be able to reduce fuel consumption!

 

Braking Too Often

Braking at the right time is, as you know, vital when it comes to driving. However, braking too often – or too late – can lead to you using more gas than you need to. This means that your miles per gallon rating won’t be as good as it should and you’ll end up paying more for your gas as a result.

This is especially a concern for bigger, more powerful cars that tend to be faster anyway, as it can also lead to your car insurance costs going up.

 

Not Maintaining Your Car

As well as actual bad driving habits, other habits related to your car can also push up the cost of driving. For instance, if you fail to maintain your car properly (such as by changing the air filter when required), you could lose fuel efficiency which will increase your gas expenditure.

You might also end up with major repair bills that could have been avoided.

 

Driving Alone

If you can, use a carpool to get to work. Driving alone means that you have sole responsibility not just for the driving, but the costs associated with it.

Joining a carpool scheme means you’ll be spending less and it’s also better for the environment as there will be fewer cars on the road.

 

Low Tire Pressure

The pressure of your tires is something else that has an impact on fuel efficiency. You should make sure your tires are properly inflated at all times so you get the most out of your gas consumption, as well as for safety reasons.

Low tire pressure can be dangerous as well as costing you more money.

 

Too Much In The Trunk

The heavier your car is, the harder it is to move and so the more gas it uses to get started. One common bad habit is to have far too much stuff in the trunk of the car, which weighs it down and increases fuel consumption unnecessarily.

 

Air Conditioning On High

The air conditioning is something else that can reduce fuel efficiency by up to 5% per MPG. Turning it down and opening the window wherever possible could save you a decent amount of money on gas.

By correcting these bad habits, you can reduce fuel consumption, and forget about foolish tactics like a gas boycott!

photo by digitalart

Home Energy Management: Are You Wasting Money On Your Home Energy?

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[The following is a guest post brought to you by uSwitch]

We recently talked about the need for proper business energy management, now we will switch gears and focus on the home. With electricity prices rising all the time and fossil fuels nearing depletion, it makes a lot of sense to take measures to save money on your energy bills at home. Many of these steps are common sense and easy to do if you compare energy prices. With more and more people using every extra penny to pay off debt, home energy management is becoming more important than ever. Here are some tips to reduce energy costs.

Tips For Better Home Energy Management

Get into the habit of switching off lights when you leave a room.Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) or LEDs (light emitting diodes) inside and outside the home; they use a fraction of the energy of traditional incandescent lighting and come out tops with energy comparison. They also produce far less heat, thus making cooling down of the room unnecessary.

Turn fridges and freezers down to a minimum, especially in winter. Don’t open the door unnecessarily or for too long. Defrost the freezer regularly and do not overfill it; but do not run it empty, either. It makes sense to compare electricity prices when different appliances are run.

A geyser is one of the most energy hungry appliances in the home. With energy comparison, it becomes clear you should set the heat for 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in summer and 60 degrees (140 Fahrenheit) in winter and install an insulating geyser blanket, not forgetting to cover the first two meters of outgoing pipes as well.

Proper home energy management may include making changes to the structure of your home (something which may provide an unexpected benefit when it’s time for tax preparation). Installing a solar water heater is initially more expensive but makes sense in the long run if your goal is wise home energy management. Shower for as short a time as possible and install a low flow shower head. Do not run the hot water for small amounts or when cold water will do and use the first unheated water to water plants or use in pets’ bowls.

Boil only as much water as you need in a kettle or keep water in an insulated flask for later use. A fully loaded dishwasher uses less water than manually washing dishes, although the initial outlay will be more expensive; but if you compare energy prices it is worth it.

Run the washing machine on cold unless clothes are greasy or heavily soiled. Front loaders use less electricity. Use a microwave oven instead of the stove top or oven when cooking. You might find that using gas is more cost efficient if you compare gas and electricity prices.

Make use of the natural heat of the sun by opening window coverings in winter and keeping them closed in summer and at night. Plant shade-giving trees, preferably deciduous ones, so that in the winter the sun will reach your home. When you compare electricity prices, the saving will make a difference.

Using double-glazed windows or a window film will further enhance insulation features. Apply weather stripping or sealant to seal gaps that let out heat and install insulation in basements, heating ducts, ceilings and walls if possible. If you compare energy prices before and after these steps, you will notice a considerable saving.

When you compare electricity prices, you will see that central heating uses a large amount of energy. Wear warm clothes instead of turning up the thermostat; use an electric blanket at night and turn down the heat in your room or switch off loose standing heaters.

Unplug all appliances when not in use; even on standby or when switched off they still consume a small amount of energy. Replace electric appliances with energy saving ones. With energy comparison, you will notice that a laptop uses less energy than a desktop computer.

Maintain all appliances regularly, such as keeping the dryer filter lint free, the geyser clear of sediment and pipes and vents clear of dust and other obstructions. Conserve fuel in your car by driving more slowly and accelerating more gently. Service your car regularly and keep all filters clean. If you compare gas and electricity prices you might want to opt for appliances that use gas, such as ovens. The biggest thing that you can do is to avoid non-renewable energy sources as much as you can.

photo by Images_of_Money

Business Energy Management: Become Efficient And Save Money Fast!

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[The following is a guest post brought to you by uSwitch For Business]

Businesses are facing a great deal of pressure in these days of recession. As well as simply trying to stay afloat they need to consider their environmental impact. The good news for businesses is that in many cases financial and environmental savings can go hand in hand and there are resources available such as uswitchforbusiness to help companies do a better job of business energy management.

Business Energy Management: A Way To Improve Your Bottom Line

Business energy consumption can be one of the major costs faced and can be a difficult cost to tackle. When staff are employed in an office or building to run a business, electricity and gas are needed to keep the work environment lit and heated as well as keeping equipment such as computers and machinery working – another benefit of using “work from home” days as a method of showing employee appreciation.

One way of saving money is to compare business electricity and gas costs. Comparison websites will allow businesses to compare the costs of business electricity and gas amongst all the major UK suppliers. Inputting details into these companies will give your business access to the many deals and offers available to business users from these suppliers to find ways of saving money.

Depending on the amount of energy your business consumes, shopping around for a cheaper supplier could save your business hundreds or thousands of pounds a year.

As well as finding a better energy deal online, there are many other ways of saving energy costs and improving the environmental profile of your company. You may need to get your employees on board to implement some of the changes necessary to save money such as encouraging them to switch off office equipment when not in use rather than leaving it on standby.

Business Energy Management: Simple Things Make A Huge Difference

Your business could save up to £35 on each computer and monitor each year by ensuring that it is properly switched off when not in use overnight or on weekends and bank holidays.

Using energy saving light bulbs and encouraging staff to switch off lights when they leave the room could cut your business’s lighting bill by up to 15 per cent and up to £400 could be saved annually by making sure taps are fully turned off and any dripping taps are fixed as soon as possible.

Turning the heating thermostat down by one degree could reduce your business’s heating bill by as much as eight per cent. It is likely that your staff will not even notice the slight drop in temperature.

Getting Grants To Help You Save

As well as encouraging staff to have some responsibility for cutting energy costs it may be worth your business investing in energy efficient equipment. Grants that are available from the Carbon Trust to help towards the cost and the overall savings on energy bills are likely to make the initial investment worthwhile.

There is plenty of information and advice available for businesses from the Energy Saving Trust on ways to reduce energy costs and become more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. The Trust can help to evaluate your energy consumption and offer advice on ways of making savings.

photo by jannoon028

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