What is good for the planet is good for the pocket

Save Our Shropshire charity will be holding workshops in 2023 to help householders understand how they can save money by “going green”, thanks to a grant from the Telford and Wrekin Climate Change fund.

In this article Save Our Shropshire shares their perspective on the current climate crisis we face and practical solutions for Shropshire households to make a difference.

What is good for the planet is also good for the pocket!

All householders are suffering in the current cost-of-living crisis. Many will see energy bills rise even further by £500 (20%) to £3,000 per year for average usage in April and will stay close to that level for the rest of the year.

While this is based on a price cap on energy, funded by the government, taxpayers also must pay for that price cap on top.

Food inflation in supermarkets for basic foods like cheese, milk and butter is 25%! That could mean the average food bill of around £3,500 per household has gone up by £875 per year!

At the same time, we can see climate change impacting our daily lives. Floods are impacting the River Severn again.

Last year was the hottest on record (remember that unbearable heat last July?)
The Met Office and scientists tell us that this is all due to climate change.
But you could be forgiven for thinking that it is not important right now to take action on climate change.

The government says we need to sort climate change by 2050, and most others say we do not need to take action until 2030 (as we do). That is seven years away for goodness’ sake!

Being able to afford to live now is what matters!

Surely doing all those things about climate change is going to make our lives worse, and more expensive?

No! Saving the planet will not cost the earth – it is not expensive and will make our lives (and our grandchildren’s) better in the future.

So, we will share with householders in our workshops two facts:

1. We need to act urgently. Everyone is always pouring harmful gases into the sky at a huge rate. It’s like letting water pour out of the bath taps, and not turning them off – the bathroom will soon be flooded, and then the rest of the house!
   
2. It could save money. Most importantly, we will share with you how “helping” the planet can save significant money for the average household in these difficult times, from actions that are simple to some that may mean some investment.

What can you do?

If you are a meat eater, then you could move to more of a plant-based diet. This will be good for the planet and save you money.

If you have your temperature much above 18C, then reducing it by 1C could help reduce your heating bill by 10%.

Improving the insulation of your home will also help the planet and help your pocket – and there is help out there to make that possible for those that can’t easily afford this. We will tell you more details about travel, energy and the things that you buy.

All together we can show how some households could save hundreds every year, and make the planet a safer place to live.

We all need also to make our voices heard. We need better local transport to avoid travelling by car. All new houses should be built with solar panels and heat pumps.

And if we could all buy renewable power from the National Grid, instead of oil and gas, then we could see our energy bills fall by 90% forever – that is around £1,500 per year (based on the current Energy Price Cap figures). There are schemes already in place to let you do some of this today.

Find out more

Come along to a Save Our Shropshire practical seminar and find out how to save money, and at the same time stop the planet from overheating. Click or .

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