We launched our Green Loan over a year ago and since then, we have helped our members make a switch to a more sustainable way of living. People often worry about the cost of going green, as installing new systems in your house can be very expensive, however, we thought we would show you just how much you can save over a longer period of time by going green
1. Travel
How about we start with travel? 77% of the UK population drive and the average cost of petrol a year is £1,171 – adding insurance as well, cars quickly become a very expensive form of transportation. For many people, a car is a necessity, but ask yourself, can you travel any other way?
An average bike In the UK costs £233 and an average electric scooter will cost you £500. You may run into maintenance costs further down the line, however you will be saving yourself hundreds of pounds. Going green does not stop you from driving; electric cars are more expensive, averaging at £30,000, however, they are far cheaper to run.
2. Energy consumption
One of the biggest ways to save money is to reduce energy costs; due to the cost of living crisis, this is more important than it has ever been. Making sustainable changes in your home can be big or small . An example of a great change you can make is ensuring your loft or cavity walls are insulated, you will be looking at around £7.50 per square metre. Often, when it comes to installing a new heating system, such as a heat pump, the costs will be high however; there is support out there, such as the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which can massively ease the squeeze on your bank account and is one of the biggest contribution you can personally make to tackling climate change.
There are other incentives offered to those who want to make the switch to a greener home. Installing a 4kW solar panel system will cost £6000 on average, although these solar panels could save you around £980 a year. You will also have the chance to make a profit through the Smart Export Guarantee, which pays small-scale generators, depending on how much they export back to the national grid. To help with those bigger purchases, we offer a Green Loan up to £10,000. Another way to generate profit with your solar panels would be through Octopus Energy. You would not need to get your solar panels installed through Octopus Energy however, they pay you for the energy you export back to the grid, and you can install an octopus battery, which will allow you to import energy from the grid at the cheapest times of the day.
3. Lifestyle
Adjusting your lifestyle and adopting a green approach can save you massively each year. One thing to take into consideration is diet. If you have access to the correct space, investing into growing your own fruit and veg can save you hundreds each year. For example, you can buy a pack of 15 cherry tomato seeds for £1.49, with the plant producing up to 200 cherry tomatoes per season. Compare this to a UK supermarket, who on average will charge around £3.33 per kilo, equating to £10 for 200 cherry tomatoes, and you get an idea of just how much you will be able to save.
So, what do you think? Are you interest in investing your moneyt and time to make the change? Make sure to check out our Green Loan – we offer between £500 and £10,000 to help you get on your way to living a greener and cheaper lifestyle.
