EARTH HOUR COUNTDOWN: One Planet Living's 10 Top Tips for Changing How We Travel to Help the Earth

As we continue our countdown to Earth Hour on Saturday, March 23^rd, 2013 at 8:30 p.m., here are some tips for reducing your ecological footprint while traveling.

One Planet Living’s 10 Top Tips for Changing How We Travel to Help the Earth

1. save money by reducing car use, especially for short journeys (eg less than 3 km)
2. walk and cycle more - it’s free!
3. avoid unnecessary travel - is that meeting really necessary, or can it be done over the phone/internet?
4. use public transport instead of the car - keeping a car is a huge drain on the household budget even before you start the engine
5. car share if driving is unavoidable - it will halve costs, as well as halving your carbon footprint
6. buy the smallest car that fits your needs - It will be cheaper to run, cheaper to tax, cheaper to insure as well as being more environmentally friendly
7. switch off your engine while stationary - you will save on fuel costs as well as CO2 emissions
8.  take holidays closer to home - a local holiday could be a lot cheaper and less stressful, and avoids lengthy waits at airport check-in and security
9.  fly less, avoiding short haul flights (less than 500km) wherever possible
10. offset your flight emissions if air travel is unavoidable

Are you interested in doing more to help? Click here to take the One Planet Challenge! Their calculator will measure your ecological footprint and carbon emissions and provide you with a personalized action plan packed with practical things you can do to achieve One Planet Living and make it easier for you to shrink your footprint.

EARTH HOUR COUNTDOWN: Take the One Planet Challenge!

Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre is counting down to Earth Hour – Saturday, March 23rd, 2013 – with tips on how you can make small changes that have a huge impact on the future of our planet.

Did you know…

• lighting accounts for up to 15% of your electricity bill?
• that by replacing normal bulbs with energy efficient ones can save you up to 70% on the cost of lighting?
• up to a third of your household heat will escape through an uninsulated loft?
• double-glazing can save you money by reducing heat lost through your windows by half?

Today’s tips (courtesy of One Planet Living) involve changing your habits in the home.

One Planet Living’s 10 Top Tips for Changing What We Do In the Home to Help the Earth

1. Turn off lights and appliances when not in use
2. Invest in cavity wall and loft insulation can lower your bills
3. Use energy efficient lights and appliances – they make a huge difference to your electricity bill
4. Switching to a green tariff is now easier than ever
5. Insulating the hot water tank and lagging hot water pipes will cut down on wasted energy and save you money
6. Turning down the thermostat by just one degree will still leave you feeling warm and comfortable, but could cut your energy bills by as much as 10%
7. Draught-proofing your home and drawing your curtains at night is a simple yet effective way to cut costs
8. Fit a water meter and a flush saver and see the difference it makes to your water bill
9. Collect rainwater in a barrel and use it to water the lawn
10. Encourage wildlife by leaving a wild area in your garden

Interested in doing more to help? Click here to take the OnePlanet Challenge!

Take the One Planet Challenge

Their calculator will measure your ecological footprint and carbon emissions and provide you with a personalized action plan packed with practical things you can do to achieve One Planet Living and make it easier for you to shrink your footprint.

How Can Your New Bath Design Help Save You Money and the Environment?

Choosing a new toilet and faucet is often one of the final design choices you'll have to make in a bath renovation, but potentially the most important.

From Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC):

A high-quality toilet can help you save money, protect the environment and conserve water, all without sacrificing performance or peace of mind. Choose the wrong toilet, and you could wind up flushing your hard-earned dollars down the drain.

In this short video, master plumber Ed Del Grande explains how Kohler's new products have been re-engineered to help you save up to 30% off your water bill.

With so many makes and models to choose from, deciding on which product is right for your home can be a bit overwhelming. If you're considering a bath renovation, Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre can help.

Drop by our Pickering showroom today or call us at 905-686-2001 and speak with one of our designers. Book your bath renovation with Monarch before August 31, 2012, and you could win your new granite or quartz countertop. To learn more, click here.

Eco-Friendly Kitchen & Bath Design Solutions: Discover the Beauty of Cork Flooring

If you are one of the increasing number of homeowners who are trying to incorporate as many eco-friendly products into your new kitchen or bath design, Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre can help.

Monarch believes strongly in the importance of sustainability and our team of designers are as committed to the environment as they are to you.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be examining several different ways you can make your new kitchen or bath renovation "greener."

We thought we'd start at the bottom and work our way up. In this video, interior designer Candice Olson discusses the benefits of using cork flooring.

Beauty, comfort, durability and sustainability...cork floors have it all!