This blog post is provided by Tom Holden from Green Zone Consultants.  Tom has compiled these 4 simple tips to help save money at home.  For approx a one off investment of less than £100 in total these tips could save you around £550 per year.   Now that is what we call a RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

1.  Water
An aerating shower head reduces the amount of water used without reducing the quality of the shower you get, cutting water and heating costs.  Shower heads start at around £20 and can be fitted in minutes.  Average saving for a 2 person household estimated to be £80 per year.

2.  Heating
By insulating some key parts of your central heating system you could save around £45 a year off your heating bills.  If you have a hot water tank that isn't insulated or any hot water pipes going in and out of it you could be throwing money out of the window.  For a very small investment e.g. £30 and a little time you could have it sorted. 

3.   Electricity
We all know that energy saving light bulbs are more efficient, but how much could they save you in terms of money, and are they worth the extra cost?  For an average 2 bedroom house with just 20 ordinary 60W bulbs, the cost of the electricity they use over a year is around £150.  If all these bulbs were replaced with their energy saving alternatives rated at 11W each the annual cost could be reduced to around £30.  A no brainer when you look at it like that!  And remember energy saving bulbs last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs, yet another reason to swap old bulbs now !!

4.   Car
A major cost for most of us today is fuel for our cars.  With more and more time spent driving on motorways these days, there are a few things we can do to improve fuel econo my. 

Stick to 60mph rather than 70mph, you will notice an increase in fuel economy without adding too much time to your journey

Make sure you are not carrying around more weight than necessary - declutter the boot but remember to keep the spare wheel !!

Look in your manual to find the correct tyre pressure.  Make sure tyres are pumped up to the Manufacturers recommended pressures.  Flat tyres can reduce fuel economy by up to 10%.  Also important to remember under-inflated tyres and dangerous and wear out quicker too.

For more tips on Economical driving visit http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Travel

Take all these simple, cost free steps and you could improve fuel economy by anywhere from 10 - 20%.

Green Zone Consultants specialise in helping people improve their energy efficiency as much as possible with as little effort and outlay as possible!   Tom will prepare a plan for you to work to so you can get started saving money and the environment.  Head to www.greenzoneconsultants.com and book an audit now! 

Quote the code GZC20 when booking to get a 20% discount off any audit - offer ends on the 30th June. 

South Staffs Water and E.ON have teamed up to offer Customers the chance to save money and water - visit www.south-staffs-water.co.uk/SAVE or call 0845 371 1689 (Quoting reference SSW2) to claim your FREE saving pack.  Orders will be despatched after 01st April 2010.