{"id":84771,"date":"2015-03-25T15:15:58","date_gmt":"2015-03-25T13:15:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/?p=84771"},"modified":"2015-03-25T13:45:52","modified_gmt":"2015-03-25T11:45:52","slug":"green-savings-in-small-spaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2015\/03\/25\/green-savings-in-small-spaces\/","title":{"rendered":"Green savings in small spaces"},"content":{"rendered":"

The general perception is that going green is costly. The reality is that there are many options to choose from. Some of these options are quite inexpensive and may be worthy investment considerations.<\/p>\n

Small spaces such as apartments, townhouses and cluster homes can also easily be retrofitted, says architect Buhle Mathole of Kabu Design Architects.<\/p>

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  1. The first important thing to consider is lifestyle. Things to be considered include the following:<\/li>\n
  2. Number of people living in a townhouse or flat,<\/li>\n
  3. Their occupations,<\/li>\n
  4. Daily routines,<\/li>\n
  5. How many people are at home during the day, and<\/li>\n
  6. Cooking methods.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Click here to calculate your energy rating.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

    Appliances usually take up significant space; however, there are great options to consider when you live in a small space. These include Microwaves and Induction cooker hobs instead of a conventional stove or hobs. A Light Wave Oven combines a microwave function, grill option and conventional oven functionality to significantly reduce cooking times and save energy.<\/p>

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    Buhle has found that while many complexes are encouraging their home owners to recycle and practice energy efficiency, many clients still have questions about building green and what they can do to become sustainable.<\/p>\n

    \u201cCost is always a big question with the perception being that it is expensive. We always try to explain that there are different scales of greening. Generally speaking, building green adds between 5% and 10% to building costs. But, the way I see it, energy and water consumption is lower, which will result in lower utility bills, which will ultimately make up the costs. Some costs are recovered fairly quickly for instance, using gas for cooking on a daily basis saves a huge amount of electricity and can bring that number down,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

    Consider these valuable electricity-saving tips for small (and big) spaces:<\/p>\n

    Interiors<\/h3>\n