REVIEW - Faith in Nature 3-in-1 Facial Wipes

My main concern with this product was that it might be drying rather than moisturising, but I gave them a go for removing my make up in the evening. They did an excellent job of cleansing, and, as someone who usually likes to use water to feel that I have really cleaned my face, they were lovely and wet so I didn’t feel the need to rinse. Again, this made me wonder about possible drying effects, but I was very pleasantly surprised that once my skin had dried it did indeed feel soft and moisturised. There is no mention of being suitable for use on the eye area, so I didn’t use the wipes for eye make up removal. This would be an added bonus, however.

See the full review here.

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Government Toughening Up on Plastic Bags

The UK government has announced that they will change the law to force retailers to charge for plastic bags (with proceeds to go to environmentally friendly good causes) unless their use is slashed by 70% by next spring. Following the introduction of a 5p charge for plastic bags in Marks & Spencer, the company has reported an 80% drop in their use. The 70% should therefore be achievable providing that retailers start to charge of their own accord.

See more information on this government move at the Daily Mail website.

Related UK Energy Saving Pages:
Eco Friendly Bags

Related blog posts:
National Trust Latest to Charge for Plastic Bags
New Concerns Over Plastic in the Seas
Marks & Spencer to Charge for Plastic Bags Nationwide
London Could Become Largest Urban Centre to Ban Plastic Bags

REVIEW - Pure Adore Shampoo & Bodywash

The Pure Adore Shampoo & Bodywash has a lovely lavender smell, which is of course supposed to have relaxing properties, making it a good choice for children’s bath time. I found that the lather produced was good, and in fact you have to be careful in making sure that it is completely washed out of hair. In terms of the eczema, I didn’t perceive any change so I’m still on the lookout for a product that helps with that.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Eco-Eye Elite Real Time Electricity Monitor

It is very simple to install and does not need an electrician. We had it up and running within 15 minutes. Eco-Eye even give you a plastic key to open your meter box which we thought was a very nice touch as not everyone has a key. It worked just as well as our previously reviewed product the Efergy Power Meter but what we really liked about this one was that it broke down your costs by hour, day, week, month and even year.

See the full review here.

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How Can Going Back to School Be Green?

UK Energy Saving has published an article on being green at the start of the new academic year. Check out the article below:

UK Energy Saving
Ezine Articles

Related blog posts:
Sophie Ellis-Bexter Helps in Launch of Greener Schools Programme
Check out Ecostreet for the 'Green "Back to School" Guide'

REVIEW - Citra-Solv Concentrated Multi-Purpose Cleaner

As soon as I used the Citra-Solv Concentrated Multi-Purpose Cleaner I noticed the lovely citrus smell, which makes a refreshing change from the usual chemical ‘natural’ smells of many cleaning products. I tried this product out on a number of everyday cleaning jobs around the home and particularly liked it for cleaning large areas such as floors. I actually used even less of the concentrate than recommended and still got good results and that delicious smell, which also made it great for cleaning bins! I havn’t tried it myself, but this product is also recommended for use on fabrics, obviously with a spot test first. I’ll certainly give this a go when I need a product for this, and will report back.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Lavera Body Spa Orange & Cocoa Bath & Shower Gel

You can’t help but have a positive first impression of the Lavera Body Spa Orange & Cocoa Bath & Shower Gel which smells absolutely gorgeous! It also lathers really well so is pleasant to use and the orange butter is supposed to be moisturising. I am always a bit wary of scented products due to slightly sensitive skin, but I didn’t find that this product had any adverse effects.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Efergy Energy Saving Power Meter

This really is a great little gadget which although it does not save you energy it certainly focuses the mind on how much electricity you use and how you can save energy by switching of unused appliances, lights and items on standby. If you turn a light on and off you can see instantly the change in energy usage.

It really is very easy to set up by clipping to the cable coming out of your electricity meter. No cables need to be cut it just clips over the wire and the total set up time was about 15 minutes. The display unit is totally portable and can be placed anywere in the house with a transmittion range of between 40-70 metres and in our case worked anywere in the house.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Lavera Family Sun Spray SPF15

I have never used a sun protection spray before, always feeling that the fine spray I anticipated would not give me such good coverage as a cream or lotion. Whether this is the case with some products, I can’t say, but the Lavera Family Sun Spray SPF15 was much better than I anticipated in this respect. The spray was easy to use and I felt that I was able to easily use enough product, which was easy to rub into the skin.

The Lavera Family Sun Spray has a lingering but very pleasant smell and, once properly soaked in, didn’t make me feel very sticky. It also states that you can apply and go straight into the sun, unlike many sun protection products which suggest applying 20-30 minutes before going outside.

See the full review here.

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UK Energy Saving Published in UK Power Magazine

Issue 2 2008 of UK Power Magazine contains an article from UK Energy Saving on solar power. Check out the full article here.

View our press release on the article at one of the sites below.
UK Energy Saving
SanePR
Pressbox
PRLog
Free Press Releases
24-7 Press Release

REVIEW - Aquaball Starter Kit - Lemon

I was really looking forward to trying the Aquaball because it seemed like it could be a great alternative to laundry liquid or washing powder. The big question was: “does it actually work?” Well, amazingly, yes! You just pop the ball (or two if you have a particularly heavy or soiled load) in the washing machine and it does its magic! I found that my laundry smelt fresh and I was impressed with its cleaning power. It got rid of a smear of Bolognese sauce no problem as well as everyday grime. The only thing which didn’t come out completely clean were some mud-stained trousers, but to be honest I’m not sure my regular laundry liquid would have done any better. The Aquaball Starter Kit also comes with natural stain remover, so you can put this on any marks you think might be tough to remove.

See the full review here.

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Reduce Waste Paper

If you don't think you are a big consumer/waster of paper, take a look at the article in the Independent below, which might make you think about whether, in reality, more savings could/should be made.

The Independent - How to cut your paper footprint

UK Energy Saving related pages:
Waste Paper Recycling
Book Recycling

REVIEW - Urtekram Green Clean Toilet Cleaner

I purposely tried this product out on a white toilet with some noticeable tide marks in order to see how effective it was. The Urtekram Green Clean Toilet Cleaner has a very mild smell which is far from overpowering even after leaving in the toilet for the recommended 30 minutes. As usual, and as the instructions on the bottle suggest, I then used a toilet brush before flushing. Whilst the tide marks weren’t immediately removed, there was some improvement after using this product on a few occasions. It also left the toilet looking otherwise clean.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Green People Roll On Aloe Vera Deodorant

Obviously no-one wants to be smelly so I must admit to trying this product with a little trepidation! Overall, however, I was pleasantly surprised. The Green People Roll On Aloe Vera Deodorant has a fresh smell and the roll on applicator is easy to use (and a personal preference). Appealing was the fact that this is not an anti-perspirant product, and, of course, the lack of chemicals is reassuring. I would say that, compared to some products (admittedly many with anti-perspirant properties too) this is not 100% as effective in terms of eliminating any odour, but I confess to being somewhat paranoid about checking, particularly when it was worn on some fairly hot days! I did notice that, presumably due to the lack of alcohol, this did not sting in the same way as some products when applied after shaving.

See the full review here.

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UK Energy Saving on Comment:Visions

In June the Comment:Visions website invited people in relevant organisations to comment on the following question.

"Some ideas for producing energy seem completely unrealistic today, but are there, in fact, new technologies waiting to be developed that we are yet to explore?"

UK Energy Saving was one of the companies approached and I put forward our thoughts, a snippet of which is below.

"Some countries are leading the way in utilising renewable energy but most have barely scratched the surface of the potential available. To cite the UK as an example, wave, tidal and wind powers in particular have the potential to more than meet the country’s electricity requirements, but currently only about 5% of the UK’s electricity comes from renewable sources. With technology in many areas such as wind and solar power at an advanced level, now is the time to be taking great leaps forward with the utilisation of renewable energy sources across the globe. Research into new technological opportunities cannot be allowed to hold back the progress needed in this area in order to protect the planet from further and ongoing damage."

To see the full comment along with those provided by others, visit the Comments:Vision website and go to June.

REVIEW - Green People No Scent Children’s Sun Lotion

The Green People No Scent Children’s Sun Lotion is quite a thick cream but nevertheless rubs in easily and has only the very faintest of smells if you sniff hard enough! Children often protest at having sun lotion applied, but this was as easy as any to put on quickly and the thickness of the cream made me feel that I was getting a decent coverage. I tried it on myself as well to establish whether it left a sticky feel and found that it was actually quite pleasant to use. It also didn’t seem to irritate my little one’s eczema.

See the full review here.

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Energy Watch Page Updated

The UK Energy Saving Energy Watch page has been updated with tips and suggestions for keeping your children entertained over the summer months. The ideas cover wet and dry weather and many are applicable to different age groups.

REVIEW - Green People Foaming Hand Sanitizer

This natural, anti-bacterial foaming hand sanitizer from Green People is designed to be used without water and is certified organic. As a mother, this product immediately appealed to me as being potentially ideal for dealing with sticky fingers! The fact that it is also anti-bacterial without using alcohol, which can be so drying for sensitive skin, was an added bonus, as was the use of natural, organic ingredients. So we gave it a try. The foaming nature of the Green People Foaming Hand Sanitizer appealed to my little one straight away, whereas washing hands in general doesn’t always go down well! We both used it and found it to be pleasant and effective with no drying or stickiness. The product does have quite a strong scent, but this is not disagreeable.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Ecover Toilet Cleaner

The Ecover Toilet Cleaner is easy to use with a classic toilet cleaner bottle shape great for getting under the rim. The product has a fresh smell which is much more pleasant than the harsh smell of many similar products. In terms of performance, however, I was a little disappointed. My toilets certainly smelt fresh after using the Ecover Toilet Cleaner but it wasn’t very effective at preventing and removing tide marks despite using a toilet brush in conjunction with the product. A little ‘elbow grease’ can go a long way, but even that wasn’t much help in this case.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Ecosoapia Unscented Organic Liquid Castile Soap

I always shop for shower gel which is non-drying so this was one of my main testing points for this product. When I first used it, the squeaky clean feel it left made me wonder whether it was going to dry my skin, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. In fact, the Ecosoapia Unscented Organic Liquid Castile Soap is very gentle. The soap produced a good lather (obviously unscented, but there are scented versions available) making it great for in the shower. The design of the bottle, however, also makes it suitable as a handwash. It is a plastic bottle, of course, but you should be able to recycle it in a plastic bottle bin. The dispenser spout may be trickier to recycle.

To see the full review click here.

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REVIEW - Ecover Washing Up Liquid

I gave the Ecover Washing Up Liquid a try as I was very conscious that, washing up being a very regular activity, a lot of chemicals were going down the drain from this household task alone. The product has a fresh, pleasant smell but I was somewhat disappointed with the effectiveness of the Ecover Washing Up Liquid. Whilst perfectly adequate for relatively clean dishes, as soon as anything greasy or very dirty was introduced cleaning became much less effective.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Kalkhoff Pro Connect Pedelec Electric Bike

The power assistance control is very easy to use when riding and it was instantly noticeable that you were being given help in pedaling. As soon as you get used to the gears it becomes an effortless ride and I never had to get out of the saddle to pedal throughout the 7.1 mile circuit. Once you drop through the gears even the steepest hill was climbed effortlessly. I do this circuit quite regularly on both a mountain bike and road bike and the Kalkhoff Pro Connect bike was by far the easiest ride with its power assistance. You also feel very safe on the bike (if it was a car it would be an Audi) with its excellent build quality and comfort, although it would benefit from a suspension seatpost which was not on the bike we tested. The braking system was also as good as any bike I have ridden and ensured you stopped quickly and safely. From a Green perspective it was also good to see the large cardboard box the bike was delivered in was from recycled paper.

See the full review here.

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