Building My Own Cycling Shed for 2018 - Part 1

Good morning everyone! Its been a long time since I have posted anything on this blog. I'v just been super busy with work and fitness.

You should all know by now that I'm a huge fitness junkie. I love sweating and being able to run for miles without losing breath. Its super healthy and helps in everyday activities such as moving houses and scrubbing the stairs.

I have been always been cycling since I was a small boy when my father taught me at our local park. I dont think iv ever went a week without cycling! Even when I go on holiday, I always find myself renting a bike and cycling along the beautiful coast lines and beaches.

I have tried to use my car much less this year and made it a rule in my home that if your destination is 2 miles or less, then your choices are to walk to cycle to wherever your going, unless its absolutely pouring with rain. For distances longer than 2 miles in the city, I tend to find the nearest free parking and cycle to wherever I'm going. A friend of mine recently introduced me a bike renting scheme in the city called Next Bike where you can grab a bike at the nearest approved station and return it to any other station. Its reasonably priced too, and for members, you get the first 30 minutes ride free everytime you use a bike. I have used it a handful of times when I don't have my bike in my car and it has been a great. 

Anyway, I have a new DIY project for 2018- I'm going to building my own indoor bike in my own back garden shed. For those who follow this blog, to help fund this project I'm using all the money I saved from installing my solar panels from last year. You can read all about it in my previous post. Hopefully the total cost wont be more than £2000, which is my budget.

Here is how big I want it to be:

It will be small but keep in mind, I only need a few things in it. Namely an indoor bike or a turbo trainer or both (still debating this), a towel rack, small storage box (to store my tools, telescopic ladder and other bits and bobs) and a TV mounted to a wall for my entertainment (I don't want to stare at a wall for 2 hours while cycling). So overall it should be fairly minimalistic, similar to something like this:

My TV will be wall mounted, probably in the 50 inch range so it can be as immersive as possible. Indoor cycling of any kind can get boring pretty fast unless you have something to keep your mind off it. If you need something to keep yourself busy, I suggest you take a look at HDCyclings's YouTube channel, he uploads regular POV rides that you can follow along to, its really good stuff.

So, I have most of the ground foundations done already from my last project so that should keep costs to a minimal. The only thing I really need to think about is: What tv I should get (I was thinking a hisense to keep the costs down) and also if I should have a fully enclosed shed or one with windows. Please comment your thoughts below.

Thanks for reading and keep a look out for part 2!

Installing my own Solar Panels to save even more money on my energy bills

Hello again everyone. Hope you all had a wonderful 2016. I’ve been busy all year so I haven’t been active as much in my blog. I have been saving up for solar panels for my house to make my home even more eco-friendly for 2017 but hiring a company to set everything up costs a fair amount of money.

Before reading this post, I suggest you take a quick read of this money saving expert post as it contains some great information for people thinking about getting solar panels installed on their home.

Installing solar panels can be a great investment for your home. You can save hundreds of pounds on your energy bill and if you have any electricity left over, you can sell it right back to the energy company. After seeing the great Elon Musk reveal his new amazing roof solar panels (see video below), I have been motivated to install my own. They wont look as good as the ones Elon is promoting but they will do the job for now.

How I will install my solar panels

Solar panels are generally expensive, and hiring an engineer to install the panels can add up to the total cost fairly quickly. Instead I’ll be setting up everything myself (with the assistance of my friend, John who installs these as part of his job). I have most of the tools at home and pretty much only need to buy the panels itself. The type of panels I’ll be setting up are called photovoltaic solar panels- which basically provide energy to power your everyday electrical items such as your fridge, TV, computer and chargers. The other type called solar thermal panels, provide energy to heat up your heaters and water. They are both tempting and you should really think about it carefully before making a choice as both have their own pros and cons.

You may have also heard of companies that give out free solar panels and fittings, the most popular being ‘A Shade Greener’ but the process of applying for it is long and tedious and at times gets rejected like in my instance. It wouldn’t hurt to try applying yourself. Here is their website: https://www.ashadegreener.co.uk/

Making sure your house is fit for solar

My house is already in a prime position for solar energy as it is facing south which catches the most sun, and obviously will generate and save me the most electricity. Don’t panic if your home isn’t south facing. You can still generate a fair amount of energy with homes facing other directions but south facing homes are the most efficient.

I phoned a friend of mine and asked him about planning permission since her works with my local council and installs solar panels himself and said that you don’t need any planning permission for solar panels unless you have a flat roof home. Not sure why this is the case but there must be a good reason to it. Please don’t use this as concrete advice as every council around the country may have different planning permission types.

Getting everything ready

First things first, the actual solar panels. After researching and trying to find the best solar panels for the price, I found a couple of trustworthy websites. I bought my solar panels from here: http://www.bimblesolar.com/ . Unlike other companies, Bimble Solar sell used panels. I managed to get  5 used ones for a reduced price. They have been used before but are still it tip top shape and with the massive discount you get as well as a nice warranty to keep your mind at ease. I think it’s worth it for the price. There are literally hundreds of different types of panels, so if you’re not sure what you’re doing or buying don’t be afraid to ask the sellers for help.

Most heavy tools that are needed for installing the solar panels I already have in my shed but for small things such as protective coating and scaffolding tools, you can get at your local B&Q or ScrewFix.

Obviously you will be installing these panels on your home roof, so you’re going to need a way to get up there. If you’re hiring someone to install them for you, you don’t need to worry about this. However if your like myself and want to install them on your own, then you will need a good set of ladders. I bought myself a telescopic ladder which does the job fine. The 3.8 meter one is more than enough for most of my DIY projects including this one, since my roof is quite low as I live in a bungalow type house. If you don’t have one, take a read through this post: http://www.techturtle.co.uk/best-telescopic-ladder/ to determine the best size and type of telescopic ladder to get.  All the ladders mentioned in the post meet EN131 and CE ladder safety laws, so you can also use them safely for your business. Remember, telescopic ladders can be used at any height up to the maximum height. So for the 3.8 meter one I have, you can lock it at half-length for smaller house projects or lock it at the full 3.8 meters for roofing projects. They are a pretty useful tool to have and can be stored very easily.

Solar panels have come a long way in terms of reliability and are generally very problem-less. However if one of your panels does fail to work It is generally an easy and cheap fix, do don’t be afraid to get second hand panels- just make sure your get the right type! If you don’t know anyone that can help you install or fix your panels, take a look around Gumtree for a freelancer that can do the job for you. Although I suggest you get at least half a dozen quotes so you can get a general idea of how much it’ll cost.

Good luck and if you need any help setting up yours, leave a comment and I’ll try my best to answer it.

Meat consumption is the number 1 cause of global pollution

Yes your read that right, eating meat and other animal products is the number 1 cause of global warming and pollution. The production of beef alone is more environmentally damaging than all cars, I’m not even kidding

Now, I’m not a Vegan and probably never will be due to cultural and social reasons, but I try to minimise eating animal foods as much as I can. I understand that it’s hard and can be scary at first, but with persistence you can also minimise how much animal products you eat on a daily. Eating steak at a restaurant once every few months is not a problem, however it starts becoming a problem when you start to consume meats every single day! 

There's a very good short documentary on YouTube showing you the effects of animal product consumption on the environment. Here it is below, make sure you switch on subtitles as the video is narrated in French. There is also another great documentary which is 45 minutes long but is a must watch for people who care about the environment as much as I do. I will link it at the bottom of this post.

I will be showing your some ways in which I have stopped eating animal products and also saved lots of money on!

Ditch the milk.

Not only is milk and other dairy products extremely acidic and can cause all sorts of skin and hormonal problems it is also chemically filled with nasty things such as growth hormones and antibiotics which only does more harm that good. Unless you get your milk from your own local farmer that you can trust, I would stop consuming it altogether. Below are some alternatives to milk that I use daily.

Coconut milk, although has more calories than regular milk, it also is much more creamier and tasty than it. It contains healthy fat and it very good for you. If you looking for alternative to full fat milk, coconut milk is the way to go. Just be sure not to drink too much as it does contain quite a few calories. Supermarkets also sell diluted coconut milk which is also a good alternative.

Almond milk is also another favourite of mine. It isn’t as creamy as coconut milk, but it does have a nice sweet taste for it. It’s extremely popular here in the UK and comes in many flavours including my favourite: Chocolate! For those who need something to satisfy their sweet tooth, I highly recommend you try a favoured Almond milk.

Other milk alternatives include rice milk, oat milk and soy milk. Soy milk is not as popular as the other milks but it is really tasty. People seem to steer away from soy products because of the myth that is causes your estrogen levels to go up, but this is just a myth and is debunked here.

In today's day and age there are literally hundreds of milk alternative brands with any flavour you can imagine. There really is no excuse. I personally prefer drinking almond and coconut milk, both of which can be bought from Tesco cheaply.

Try some meat alternatives

If you are a meat head and you need to consume meat everyday then I suggest you be careful as processed meats have recently been found out to becancerous if eaten too much . If your looking for a good meat alternative, tofu is a great choice, and with the right mix of ingredients and spices, you can make it taste like real meat.

You can also opt in for a quote based product. Tesco sell lots of quorn meats and to me they taste really good. I personally like the mince and chicken burgers but there are plenty of products to choose from. Take a look here.

Conclusion 

That’s just some ways I reduce my meat consumption, I suggest you also read more about how meat production is extremely bad for the environment and hopefully you can make a decision like me to cut back on meat and animal products.

People really need to ask themselves, do I really need to eat this much chicken or steak every night? And the answer is NO! You don’t. The reason why people feel that they need to eat so much meat is because they have been trained by a young age to do so. Think about it, 100 years ago humans never had any supermarkets and so had to do their own hunting and do you really think every single family hunted every day? No, of course not. Back then humans relied on fruits and vegetables and grains to keep them alive until their next hunt. Maybe it’s time we do the same too...

Thanks for reading, here is the video I mentioned earlier in the post

Mistakes young driver make when buying their first car

Having a car is great, it gives you the feeling of freedom and can be a great way to transport your friends and family around the country. Cars have gotten much better over the years in terms of design, efficiency and pollution friendliness. I was 19 when I passed my exams and right away I purchased my first car, a ford focus 1.6 petrol. Unfortunately because of my inexperience and excitement, I rushed when buying my first car only to be shocked by the bills later on. Here is a pic of my first car:

How to choose your first car

Choosing a car is the most exciting part of the whole driving experience however many young drivers fall for the trap and choosing a car that looks good and forgetting about things like reliability, efficiency running costs. When choosing your car, generally speaking the lower the engine size the cheaper the insurance, road tax and fuel efficiency it’s going to be. If you plan to nip around town, or do mostly short journeys a small petrol engine car would be your best bet. If you plan to drive long motorway miles, then a diesel engine car would be more fuel efficient. Also when a car manufacturer claims that a car does 60mpg its highly unrealistic and unachievable in real world scenarios. I came across a good website called REAL MPG where people submit their real life mpg of their cars. Its always a good idea to go for a car with a reasonably high real mpg.

Do not fall for any traps

Insurance

Insurance prices for young and new drivers can be off putting at first, but you need to remember that car insurance is arranged in groups with the lowest being 1 and the highest being 50. The lower the insurance group, the less you need to pay for car insurance. If your looking for a low insurance group car take a look at this website that lists the carswith group 1 insurance. For young drivers you can get a black box installed in your car to save you even more money. Be careful though, a black box can monitor you speeds so don’t go over speed or there will be consequences, some insurance companies also restrict you to drive late hours, so make sure you read the terms and conditions.

Road Tax

Road tax is also something to look out for. When I purchased my first car, the road tax cost me almost 150 pounds for a full year. It might not sound like much but it adds up. Over the course of 5 years That’s 750 pounds, now it’s not so funny, eh? Make sure you look at the tax bracket of a car before buying. These days some cars are Road tax free and some can be 20 pounds, while other high end cars can go Al the way up to 500 pounds/year. Make sure your keep up to date with the latest laws on road tax as they have changed some things recently.

Customising your car

Many drivers like myself like to customise their car. It makes your car stand out from the crowd and shows a little bit of your personality. Personally I like to tint my rear windows black which makes the car look more sportier. Other people like to change the rims on the wheels and some people go as far as getting a new body kit installed. The problem with customising your car is that insurance companies require you to tell them beforehand, and this will probably end up making your premium insurance cost even higher. Tinted windows alone will add around 50 pounds to your insurance bill. People who avoid telling their insurance about any third party customisations are more likely to her their claim rejected because your didn’t tell them about your customisations, so please don’t take the risk.

Got enough money? Go electric

Electric cars are great, they produce instant torque and save you a ton of money on fuel and road tax costs. As I mentioned in my intro post, I try my best to go as green as I can and to reduce my carbon footprint as much as possible. The problem with electric cars is that they tend to be more expensive to insure because of how fast they can accelerate. They are also more expensive to buy and opposed to regular fuel driven cars due to expensive batteries. Luckily in the UK the government can give you a £5000 grant when buying a brand new plug in electric car, so that’s something to look for.

I don’t expect any young drivers to buy an electric car just yet due to the cost of buying one but you can always think of getting one once you secure a nice paying job in the future. I myself am saving up for a Tesla model S, which doesn't look your stereotypical electric car at all and can accelerate faster than most supercars! Check out how fast a Tesla model s accelerates:

That’s all for today lads and gals. I hope it has been helpful to you, if you please share it with your friends that are looking to buy their first car soon. Don’t forget to comment below on what your first car was.

How I saved over £500 on my electricity bill

We use much more electricity than we need to

Paying for electricity can be tough, especially if you have many devices plugged in constantly like many of us do. Electricity is getting more and more expensive and the average household uses almost twice as many gadgets and appliances as we did only 5 years ago. House owners are often in shock when they see their electricity bill at the end of the month and wonder why and how on earth did they use that much.

5 tips that will help you save electricity money

I am here to show you my method that I have used in the past 3 years that has saved my family over 500 pounds in three years consecutively. Before some of you come to conclusions, no I do not force my whole family to sit in front on a small television with only 1 electric heater on in the entire house. In fact we actually have 3 separate televisions and 2 computers on for an average of 5 hours a day each and yet we still manage to consume less electricity than the average UK household.

Tip 1- Turn of any blinking lights at night

Have you just finished using the computer and are heading bed? Not so fast! You just left on your computer and monitor on standby without even realising it.

Most modern computers have a ‘smart PSU’ which keep any USB’s plugged in active. So your keyboard and laser mouse will be one all night without you knowing it. Yes it may not seem like much but it does add up, trust me on that. It especially starts becoming a problem when there are things like a USB speaker and an external hard drive plugged in. That was just the computer alone, you also have the monitor to worry about.

In today’s world, monitors consume far less electricity than they used to but, like computer towers people also have a tenancy to leave them ‘on’ when going to sleep. After using the computer you will notice on your screen a small led light that may or may not be flashing. If you do, make sure you press the power button on the monitor to turn it off. If you don’t have a button on your monitor, use the old fashion method and manually switch it off from the mains sockets. Doing so can save up to 50 pounds in a year!

Finally, if you use a Power line, you may want to turn that off at night also. I found out that my power line was using more electricity than I thought. Some people recommend you turn off your router at night. This would be a good idea in theory however, some Internet service providers think your are having a problem with your phone line and would in turn lower your Internet speeds. So before turning of your router, I suggest you make a quick call and ask them if it would OK to do. From personal experience, SKY doesn't have a problem with it.

Tip 2- Don’t use your microwave as a clock

Microwaves are great for cooking food and only cooking food. Here’s a fun fact. In the course of 24 hours, microwaves will use more electricity to display the clock than to heat up your food! Crazy right? As soon as you are done cooking your favourite microwave meal, turn it off completely from the mains.

TIP 3- Close the curtains at night

This is more to do with conversing heat. If you are like me and use electric heaters, you will notice that turning the level on by even 1 step, will result in a drastic increase in electricity consumption.

Things like double glazing, triple glazing and even heat absorbing blinds are new ways to prevent heat from escaping but you can’t run away from the truth in that most of your home heat will be lost through windows no matter how much layers of glazing your windows have.

A great way to minimise the heat loss is to close your curtains completely whenever it gets dark. This will help minimise the heat lost to your windows and in turn save you money on heating.

Alternatively you can look for thermal blinds, which are specially designed to retain the heat from getting lost through the windows. They are a bit pricey but can be a good investment in the long run.

Tip 4- Don’t charge your phone overnight.

Not only can charging your phone or tablet overnight consume more electricity but is also a very dangerous safety hazard. There has been many reported instances where phone batteries have gotten so hot that they explode next to the owners face. It’s not something you want your kids exposed to. Keep them safe, don’t charge your phones overnight!

It’s very tempting to do since most phones batteries will only last a full working day with moderate use but there are solutions to concur this bad habit.

There are many chargers you can buy with an additional battery slot. These tend to charge the batteries much faster than your phone would as they only need to focus on charging the battery and not worry about things like display and notifications. However as time goes on, phone manufacturers are making their phones much more thinner, which unfortunately means that phones these days do not have a removable battery, which would make this method useless.

Another great, alternative method would be to buy a Power bank which can be bought pretty much in any phone shop. They are cheap and can be charged quickly. They range from a number of sizes from a small pocket sized one to a larger bag one. Of course they both have their advantages and disadvantages but briefly speaking, having a larger Power bank will allow you to charge your phone 7 to 10 times depending on your battery size, which means you would only need to charge the power bank once a week and be able to charge your phone daily without the need to charge your phone overnight. If your looking for a larger capacity power bank, I suggest you take a look at Ankers range which can be found on Amazon. They have good reviews and have proven to be a reliable option.

If your looking for a smaller power bank that is suitable to charge your phone once, I would suggest you look at EE’s swap service. If you own an EE power bank, they allow you to swap your power bank at any time for a fully charged one at their store. Just pop in to an EE shop and they will swap one for you. It’s a great service for someone who spends most of their day outside.

TIP 5- Use common sense.

Before going to bed today. Take a look around the house for any plugged in devices or appliances and ask yourself: Do I really need this to be on all night? You would be surprised to find out how many devices you can turn off in that 1 time, all of which can add up to a great amount of electricity saved at the end of the year.

The first time I tried it, I managed to find 4 unnecessary devices that were on standby. A microwave, a small TV in the sitting room, a phone charger and a washing machine.

That’s today’s post finished and it’s pretty much everything I followed in order to save 500 pounds last year and the years before. I hope you find it useful in anyway, if it was useful, please feel free to share it on Facebook or twitter.

Thanks and goodnight

My Green Introduction

A little bit about myself

Hello green world, my name is Jeff, I’m a 27 year old tech freak that deeply cares about the environment. I have made this blog with the intention of helping others become more green friendly, save more money and to be able to use modern day technology to achieve this.

How Technology has changed our world

Tech evolves everyday at a higher rate than anyone could ever imagine. We walk with our personal computers in our own pockets that is more powerful than any computer only 20 years ago. We can avoid car accidents with new car detection radars which was though impossible at first. With tech, anything is truly possible with time, dedication and a dream. My personal goal is to spread the message of new and up and coming inventions that has the potential to change our destructive environmental behaviour.

Unfortunately we still are facing an environmental problem with pollution, global warming and green house gasses. Hopefully in the near future for the sake of our future generations, we can get global warming under control for our future grand children to enjoy the earth as much as we have.

In my blog I will be sharing tips, tricks and guides on how you can save money at home, work or in your car which in turn will reduce things like electricity consumption, green house gasses emissions and general pollution all of which contribute to global warming. 

You will be surprised at how much money you can save each year by simply turning off your charger at night when it’s not needed, or time your heaters to turn on just before you reach your home after work saving you a great amount of money on your gas bills. All of these tips will be discussed in the up and coming months. I will be aiming to post at least 4 posts each week, but due to my busy work schedule, this could fall down to 2. Nevertheless I hope you guys have enjoyed this intro post and if any tips I shared with you are helpful in any way, please feel free to share with your friends and family so they can enjoy the benefits of becoming eco-friendly.                      

Thanks for reading