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Readers response: How do you handle changes in energy levels as you age?

<p>As we get older, our levels of energy, ability and agility can slowly start to decrease, making us change our day-to-day lifestyles. </p> <p>We asked our readers how they handle these changes, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. </p> <p><strong>Margo Courtney</strong> - Eat clean and healthy and your body will reward you with heaps of energy and vitality. I have a very big green smoothie most days as one of my 2 meals, along with 2 litres of water a day, and I don't even need much sleep.</p> <p><strong>Ron Stubbs</strong> - Up at 8am, can’t be late for my walk in the sun, and feeling great. Don’t need afternoon snooze then. I’m 77.</p> <p><strong>Kristeen Bon</strong> - I don’t handle them. I flop on the couch most afternoons for a quick five minute interior eye check!</p> <p><strong>Sylvia Brice</strong> - I have an autoimmune disease so my levels of energy are way down. I do what l can in small bursts and rest when l need to. Luckily l read and craft so can always do them. It's very hard to adapt but that's life and l am so much better for off than younger people with my disease. Think positive.</p> <p><strong>Judie Fisher</strong> - Do chores in small stretches, and have regular breaks.</p> <p><strong>Diane Green</strong> - Adjust. I do what I can, and what I can't just has to wait.</p> <p><strong>Raymond Richards</strong> - As they told us at the heart clinic, if you have something you HAVE to do - do it first.</p> <p><strong>Janis St George</strong> - Listen to your body - rest awhile when you need to.</p> <p><strong>Kaylene Samuels</strong> - Have a SCAN..... Seniors Compulsory Afternoon Nap.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

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5 ways to reduce everyday bills

<p>It’s not uncommon to get to the end of the month and be surprised by a figure in your bills. But this surprise needn’t be unpleasant. There is wide a range of simple measures you can employ to reduce your monthly bills without too much effort. Follow these five simple tips and save money.</p> <p><strong>1. Food and groceries</strong></p> <p>Food can be a problem area in the average Australian’s budget, either because we’re physically eating too much, eating out too much or spending too much money on groceries. But that doesn’t mean you have to transition to a Spartan diet. Here’s how you can save on your grocery bill:</p> <ul> <li>Reduce the amount of times you’re eating out or getting takeout a week</li> <li>Use a shopping list and coupons, pay for groceries (this means you’re less likely to splurge on items that you don’t need) and buy more non-perishable foods to store and save</li> <li>Consider starting a garden and grow your own fruit and veggies</li> </ul> <p><strong>2. Energy</strong></p> <p>Many people have found their energy bills have been increasingly steady over the past through years, but this doesn’t mean you have to be part of that trend. With a little bit of ingenuity and not a lot of fuss you can make your house energy efficient and enjoy huge power bill savings:</p> <ul> <li>Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs. In many cases these bulbs do cost more than traditional bulbs, but they use much less energy and can last up to 10 times longer</li> <li>Unplug unused electrical devices that are draining electricity</li> <li>Make sure you home is airtight to prevent cold drafts in winter and the loss of cool air in summer. This will also reduce your heating/cooling bills accordingly</li> </ul> <p><strong>3. Cars</strong></p> <p>As fuel, registration and maintenance costs start to pile up, a car can seem less like a convenience and more like a money pit rolling around on four wheels. That being said, there is a range of ways you can enjoy the access vehicle ownerships provides, without having to pay through your nose:</p> <ul> <li>Underinflated tyres reduces the value of your cars fuel economy significantly, so make sure you take a couple of minutes to check the air pressure and reinflate once a month</li> <li>Consider selling a vehicle if you’re not using it often. Without taking the cost of parking and toll roads into account driving vehicles costs thousands of dollars a year</li> <li>Use more public transport and consider setting up car pools with friends/colleagues</li> </ul> <p><strong>4. Grooming and beauty  </strong></p> <p>Looking and feeling great is important, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a hugely expensive ordeal. With a little bit of ingenuity, creativity and willingness to not spend $10,000 on that jewel encrusted headdress you can still be the belle/male-belle of the ball without breaking the bank:</p> <ul> <li>Reduce the amount of money you spend on clothing by keeping your eye on sales</li> <li>Consider lower cost alternatives to your favourite beauty products</li> <li>Cut back on the amount of times you have your hair cut and styled</li> </ul> <p><strong>5. Additional entertainment expenses</strong></p> <p>Your deluxe gym membership might give you access to the power lifting body attack class, but are you really getting the full value for it and the other regular entertainment expenses you’ve signed up for? There are still ways to stay entertained without having to break the bank every week.</p> <ul> <li>Consider cancelling club memberships for places you don’t visit often</li> <li>Investigate free events and inexpensive entertainment ideas like cheap movies Tuesdays</li> <li>Magazine and newspaper subscriptions can also become expensive if you’re not actually reading the papers, as well as pay television services that can be easily eliminated</li> </ul> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p>

Money & Banking

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"We should give back": Bill Gates' ex-wife on giving away her $16bn fortune

<p>Melinda French Gates has opened up on her decision to give away her fortune after leaving the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation in June. </p> <p>Melinda, who is reportedly worth $16.8 billion, said that she will stick with her decision to give away her fortune on <em>The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, </em> as it's "the right thing to do for society". </p> <p>"If we grew up in the United States, anybody who has grown up in this country has been really lucky and I don't care who you are," she explained.</p> <p>"To be able to go to a decent school, grow up and pursue your career, and if so you are a billionaire, my gosh, you have benefited from this country, right?</p> <p>"So we should give back."</p> <p>She also feels there is "a responsibility and to do it in a way that's incredibly thoughtful".</p> <p>Melinda, who divorced the Microsoft founder Bill Gates back in 2021, has announced her plans to focus on her organisation Pivotal Ventures, which she founded in 2015.</p> <p>The organisation's aim is to "advance social progress by removing barriers that hold people back."</p> <p>She said that she is  determined to ensure that "women's rights are not only on the agenda, but that women are setting the agenda" – especially after watching women's rights be rolled back internationally over the last few years."</p> <p>"What I saw, part of why our women's rights got rolled back in the United States is that those organisations were starved for funding, and they were playing defense," she explained. </p> <p>Melinda has pledged to donate $1 billion to this end over the next two years. </p> <p><em>Image: Julien De Rosa/EPA/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>

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Walking or running: for the same distance, which consumes more energy?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/clement-lemineur-1529211">Clément Lemineur</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/universite-cote-dazur-2917">Université Côte d’Azur</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/clement-naveilhan-1495411">Clément Naveilhan</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/universite-cote-dazur-2917">Université Côte d’Azur</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/francois-dernoncourt-1495410">François Dernoncourt</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/universite-cote-dazur-2917">Université Côte d’Azur</a></em></p> <p>It’s Monday morning, the alarm goes off and it’s already 7:30 a.m. – and you’re 30 minutes late. Normally you need 45 minutes to walk the 3 kilometres to work, but this morning you’ll be running for 20 minutes. Yes, but by lunchtime you’re feeling more tired and you have the impression that you’ve expended more energy than usual on the trip. Yet you’ve covered the same distance as on the other days. How can this be?</p> <p>The calorie expenditure associated with any activity is called the “metabolic cost”, and corresponds to the energy consumed by our organs to cover a given distance. This metabolic cost can be determined by analysing the oxygen our bodies consume and the carbon dioxide they produce, we can estimate the amount of energy expended, and thus the metabolic cost. It was using this method that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/692303/">researchers had already answered our question back in the 1970s</a>.</p> <p>Perhaps not surprisingly, running consumes more energy than walking for the same distance covered. But why?</p> <h2>Energy lost when running</h2> <p>Imagine you’re watching someone running. Now look closely at the vertical movement (up and down) of their pelvis and head. As you can see from the diagram below, when we run, the distance that our body moves up and down is greater than when we walk. To produce this vertical movement, the muscles of the lower limbs have to generate more force, and that consumes more energy, yet doesn’t bring us any closer to our destination. So when running, part of the energy expended is used to move our bodies <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16029949/">upward rather than forward</a>. The energy needed to cover those 3 km is therefore higher for running than for walking.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/602769/original/file-20240625-18-xilv63.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/602769/original/file-20240625-18-xilv63.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/602769/original/file-20240625-18-xilv63.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=287&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/602769/original/file-20240625-18-xilv63.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=287&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/602769/original/file-20240625-18-xilv63.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=287&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/602769/original/file-20240625-18-xilv63.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=361&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/602769/original/file-20240625-18-xilv63.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=361&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/602769/original/file-20240625-18-xilv63.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=361&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Illustration of the oscillations of running and walking" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Running involves much greater vertical oscillation of the centre of mass than walking. This is the main reason why running consumes more energy than walking for the same distance covered.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">François Dernoncourt</span>, <span class="license">Fourni par l'auteur</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>This difference between walking and running is not confined to what happens during the activity itself. In fact, each physical exercise causes a delayed expenditure of energy, which is added to the expenditure during the activity.</p> <p>Taking this into account, it’s once again running that uses more energy than walking. Immediately after running your 3 km, the increased energy consumption (compared with resting) lasts for several minutes, mainly because of the increase in body temperature and the replenishment of energy reserves. This additional expenditure after running is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22446673/">more than twice that observed after walking</a>, due to the difference in intensity between the two exercises.</p> <h2>It all depends on speed</h2> <p>Running therefore involves a higher calorie expenditure than walking for the same distance covered. But this is on condition that the walking speed considered is “normal” (around 5 km/h). So, if we walk very slowly, it will take us so long to cover the 3 km that the calorie expenditure will be greater in the end. This is because the body expends a certain amount of energy per unit of time no matter what, regardless of the activity performed (known as the “basal metabolic rate”).</p> <p>The same applies if the walking speed is very fast (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29925582/">more than 8 km/h</a>): running is more energy-efficient. Here, the coordination required to walk at such a speed means that we need to activate our muscles more, without being able to take advantage of the elasticity of our tendons, as is the case with running.</p> <p>Moreover, we have a very precise intuitive perception of the energy efficiency of a particular style of movement. If we’re on a treadmill whose speed gradually increases, the point at which we spontaneously switch from walking to running coincides with the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096663622100120X">moment when it would become more energy-consuming to walk than to run</a>.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/604700/original/file-20240703-17-4dlrj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/604700/original/file-20240703-17-4dlrj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/604700/original/file-20240703-17-4dlrj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=395&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/604700/original/file-20240703-17-4dlrj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=395&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/604700/original/file-20240703-17-4dlrj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=395&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/604700/original/file-20240703-17-4dlrj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=497&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/604700/original/file-20240703-17-4dlrj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=497&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/604700/original/file-20240703-17-4dlrj.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=497&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Modelling of metabolic cost (kilocalories expended per kilogram per kilometre covered) as a function of speed (kilometres per hour) for walking and running. The curves cross at a certain speed (purple line; around 8 km/h): this means that above this speed, walking becomes more energy-intensive than running. It’s at around this threshold speed that people spontaneously switch from walking to running.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">François Dernoncourt, Adapted from Summerside et al</span>, <span class="license">Fourni par l'auteur</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>In conclusion, because of greater oscillation of the centre of mass and increased energy expenditure after exercise, running to work is more energy-intensive than covering the same distance by walking. But remember, whether you choose to walk or run to work, the most important thing is that you’re already saving energy!<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/233943/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/clement-lemineur-1529211">Clément Lemineur</a>, Doctorant en Sciences du Mouvement Humain, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/universite-cote-dazur-2917">Université Côte d’Azur</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/clement-naveilhan-1495411">Clément Naveilhan</a>, Doctorant en Sciences du Mouvement Humain, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/universite-cote-dazur-2917">Université Côte d’Azur</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/francois-dernoncourt-1495410">François Dernoncourt</a>, Doctorant en Sciences du Mouvement Humain, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/universite-cote-dazur-2917">Université Côte d’Azur</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/walking-or-running-for-the-same-distance-which-consumes-more-energy-233943">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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"There's no way": Man receives $52 billion tax bill

<p>An American man has been left confused after receiving a letter from the government claiming he owed $52 billion in unpaid taxes. </p> <p>Barry Tangert got two letters in the mail from the state of Pennsylvania, opening the first to find a refund check from the federal government for over $900.</p> <p>His joy was short-lived though as he opened the second letter to find the income billing notice from the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue claiming that he owed a jaw-dropping $52,950,744,735.28 ($34,576,826,561.47 AUD).</p> <p>“I knew it was an obvious blunder. I don’t even make over $100,000 a year, so there’s no way I could owe anywhere near that,” Barry Tangert told local outlet <em>News 8</em>.</p> <p>The total sum was so large it didn’t even fit on a single line on the document.</p> <p>Tangert immediately knew it was a mistake, with the astonishing number being more than triple the $11 billion America’s richest man Elon Musk says he owed the government in 2022.</p> <p>How the error made it all the way to his doorstep is still a mystery to Tangert.</p> <p>“I don’t know if it was a computer glitch in the transmission or if it was an input error from my tax preparer,” Tangert said, noting that his tax preparer filed an amendment after noticing an error on his 2022 return.</p> <p>He reached out to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue’s customer service line, which also provided little help to the baffled man.</p> <p>“The first thing he said was, ‘You had a good year.’ And I said, ‘I wish,’” Tangert said.</p> <p>Fortunately, the state department has since resolved the issue, which it chalked up to wrong numbers simply being put into the system.</p> <p><em>Image credits: WGAL News 8</em></p> <p><em> </em></p>

Money & Banking

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Tourist slapped with $225k bill after simple mistake

<p>An American tourist has revealed the moment he was charged with a $US143k (AU$225k) bill after a short holiday to Switzerland. </p> <p>Rene Remund and his wife Linda went on the trip last September.</p> <p>Prior to their travels, Remund made sure to inform his mobile phone provider, T-Mobile, that he was going overseas and as a customer of 30 years, he was told he was “covered”.</p> <p>So, with no worries at all, the tourist shared photos of his moments in the Swiss countryside with friends and family via photo messages. </p> <p>Imagine his surprise when he came home to a six-figure bill, after he racked up thousands and thousands of dollars in daily roaming costs. </p> <p>“I get this T-Mobile bill and it doesn’t bother me very much because I was reading $143,” he explained, adding it wasn’t until he went to pay the bill that he realised a few more zeros were involved.</p> <p>“I look at the bill and I say, ‘excuse me’,” he said.</p> <p>“$143,000 … are you guys crazy?”</p> <p>According to the bill, Remund had racked up 9.5 gigabytes of data while in Europe, which cost him thousands of dollars each day. While it wasn't a huge amount of data, not being covered by roaming fees will cause a user to run up a huge bill very quickly. </p> <p>“I called [T-Mobile] and the girl put me on hold for a while,” he explained.</p> <p>“She said let me check this out and I’ll get back to you. She gets back and says, yeah this is a good bill.</p> <p>“I said, ‘what do you mean it’s a good bill?’ And she says ‘well, this is what you owe’.</p> <p>“I said ‘you’re kidding me … you’re crazy’.”</p> <p>After confirming that his bill was in fact  AU$225,000, Remund hired a lawyer to argue the fact that he was covered for international roaming. </p> <p>His lawyer issued a letter to the president of T-Mobile, and they only received a reply a few days ago. </p> <p>The letter from T-Mobile allegedly said that the service provider was “sorry” for the charges, and that Remund would receive a “credit” to eliminate the entire bill. </p> <p>In an email shared to local media <em>Scripps News Tampa</em>, the mobile phone provider said that customers should always “check the travel features of their plan, such as international data roaming, before departing”.</p> <p>“If a customer is on an older plan that doesn’t include international roaming for data and calling, they’ll need to make sure they’re using aeroplane mode and wi-fi when using data to be certain the device doesn’t connect to an international network.”</p> <p><em style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Figtree, Roboto, 'Noto Sans Hebrew', 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">Images: ABC Action News</em></p> <p> </p>

Travel Trouble

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Calories and kilojoules: how do we know the energy content of food, and how accurate are the labels?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-ball-14718">Lauren Ball</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emily-burch-438717">Emily Burch</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/southern-cross-university-1160">Southern Cross University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katelyn-barnes-1238606">Katelyn Barnes</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p>Everything we consume contains energy our bodies use to move, grow and maintain health. To work out how much energy is in different foods and drinks, we need to first look at a few core concepts.</p> <p>Firstly, you’ve probably heard of the units of measurement for energy – calories – as well as the metric equivalent, which is joules. One calorie is defined as the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1℃.</p> <p>In human nutrition, the amounts of energy needed to maintain health, and to fuel a body, are much larger than the tiny singular calories used to heat up a gram of water. So, the term “calorie” in nutrition commonly refers to a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316622085546">kilocalorie</a> (or kcal), which is 1,000 calories. When you see the word “calories” on a nutrition label, it’s likely referring to kcals.</p> <p>The energy stored in food and drinks is released when the body breaks down one or more of the four macronutrients inside the food (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, alcohol). The body then uses that energy for activities such as keeping our heart beating, our lungs breathing and our muscles moving.</p> <p>When energy in food is estimated, it is the amount of energy food and drinks provide for these bodily processes. The four macronutrients provide <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916522039454">different amounts of energy</a>:</p> <ol> <li>1 gram of carbohydrate provides about 4 kcal of energy</li> <li>1 gram of fat provides about 9 kcal of energy</li> <li>1 gram of protein provides about 4 kcal of energy</li> <li>1 gram of alcohol provides about 7 kcal of energy.</li> </ol> <h2>How are calories estimated?</h2> <p>There are two ways to estimate the amount of energy in food and drinks.</p> <p>The first is called “bomb calorimetry”. This gold-standard method involves placing a small sample of food or drink inside a device known as a bomb calorimeter. The food is burned in the presence of oxygen, releasing heat.</p> <p>The amount of heat released is directly related to the amount of energy in the food, allowing a calculation to be made. This method is most commonly used for foods rich in fats and is considered the most reliable (but expensive) method.</p> <p>The second method, the Atwater system, is a much less expensive method for estimating energy content. It is more commonly used when calculating energy of most food and drinks sold in supermarkets. Named after legendary food researcher <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316622065336">Wilbur Atwater</a>, this system uses a standard conversion factor for each macronutrient found in food and drinks. By estimating the amount of each of the four macronutrients, an approximate calculation of the total energy can be made.</p> <p>However, this method requires detailed knowledge of the ingredients within composite foods (such as muesli bars or hamburgers) – which may reduce accuracy. There is also a margin of error to expect with the Atwater system, because it assumes each ingredient is always the same in composition.</p> <p>For example, a cup of oats grown in one part of the country won’t necessarily have the exact same nutritional content as another cup of oats grown elsewhere, due to climate and soil differences. So, this system is an estimation based on an average.</p> <p>Importantly, both methods estimate the amount of energy <em>in</em> food and drinks. But the actual energy our bodies extract from these foods and drinks can vary due to factors such as individual differences in digestion and absorption, as well as food processing and cooking methods.</p> <h2>Why do foods have calories written on them?</h2> <p>In Australia, it’s a <a href="https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/labelling/panels/Pages/default.aspx">legal requirement</a> for packaged food items to have a nutrition information panel that displays the number of kcal it contains.</p> <p>However, homemade food items sold at places like a fresh market may not be required to provide a nutrition information panel. This will depend on the type of food being sold and the scale of the business operation.</p> <p>Fresh foods such as fruit, vegetables and meat also don’t require a nutrition information panel. To find out the number of kcal in them, you can either run an experiment with a bomb calorimeter or look up an estimated value in an online nutrition database.</p> <p>Food composition databases such as <a href="https://www.calorieking.com/us/en/">CalorieKing</a> compile information about the energy and nutrient content of various foods. Dietitians and other health professionals often use these databases to estimate the energy content of foods to inform dietary recommendations.</p> <h2>Different international standards</h2> <p>Both kJ and kcal refer to energy – they are just two different units of measurements (such as how inches and centimetres are two different units for measuring length). Kilojoules (kJ) is part of the International System of Units (SI).</p> <p>Australia, New Zealand and some parts of Europe use kJ. The United States and the United Kingdom use kcal. To convert between calories and kilojoules you use the conversion factors:</p> <ul> <li>1 kcal = 4.184 kJ</li> <li>1 kJ = 0.24 kcal (about ¼).</li> </ul> <p>For example, if you have a packet of chips with an energy content of 200 kcal, you can convert it to kJ as follows: 200 kcal × 4.184 = 836.8 kJ.</p> <p>As for how many calories are acceptable to eat, the Australian Guidelines for Healthy Eating estimate the average adult requires about 7,000kJ or 1,670Kcal every day. However, differences in age, gender, size, health and physical activity will influence how much energy a person needs.</p> <p>To estimate your personal energy requirements, you can use this <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrient-reference-values/nutrients-dietary-energy-calculator#results-energy">nutrients and dietary energy calculator</a>.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211613/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lauren-ball-14718">Lauren Ball</a>, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emily-burch-438717">Emily Burch</a>, Dietitian, Researcher &amp; Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/southern-cross-university-1160">Southern Cross University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katelyn-barnes-1238606">Katelyn Barnes</a>, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/calories-and-kilojoules-how-do-we-know-the-energy-content-of-food-and-how-accurate-are-the-labels-211613">original article</a>.</em></p>

Food & Wine

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"My unexpected $223,000 overseas bill"

<p>Jeffrey Yates had just embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday with his wife to celebrate their wedding anniversary.</p> <p>Instead, he ended up racking up a whopping $223,255 bill, the biggest claim his insurance company had seen during 2017.</p> <p>The 71-year-old from Western Australia said the pair’s much-anticipated trip had started off well.</p> <p>“The trip was a particularly special one as it was our 50th wedding anniversary, so it was something we’d been looking forward to for quite some time,” Mr Yates told <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/health-safety/my-unexpected-223000-overseas-bill/news-story/94cd850899f9e1367bf6f3fb49621307">news.com.au.</a></span></strong></p> <p>“We started in Dubai, and then went over to Athens. From there, we jumped on a cruise from Athens to Barcelona.”</p> <p>But things soon took a turn when Jeffrey was struck with a series of illnesses while in Italy.</p> <p>“We were only a week in when my health started to deteriorate,” he said. “I contracted legionnaires’ disease and pneumonia which led to me discovering that I had emphysema on the trip.</p> <p>“The experience was quite scary and my wife and our two friends had to leave the cruise early to assist during my recovery.”</p> <p>He ended up in hospital for more than a month.</p> <p>“Within three days they’d dropped us off in Naples to see a specialist hospital, which led to 16 days in intensive care. This was followed by an extended stay in hospital.</p> <p>“All up, I was out of action for 47 days. After all was said and done, the total came to well over $220,000 … It was an extremely difficult situation.”</p> <p>Jeff says that while the couple always take out travel insurance, it was more for his wife who has ongoing health issues. He hadn’t anticipated he would need it.</p> <p>“It’s not something you think about, especially given how quickly those transportation and hospital bills can add up,” he said.</p> <p>“Of course, we were disappointed that such a long-awaited trip had been cut short, but we are grateful that it wasn’t worse and that we weren’t left out of pocket.”</p> <p>He says his experience show that all travellers need to protect themselves when travelling – as you really never know what could happen.</p> <p>Jeff still has ongoing health issues that he is being monitored for, including breathing issues for which he still requires oxygen.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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How to avoid mobile phone bill horror stories when travelling

<p>"I'm sorry, calls to this number are not allowed, please try again later". This. Again. At 1am standing outside what I thought was our Galway Airbnb, but instead was a popular alley for Irish revellers to relieve themselves. Brilliant.</p> <p>After begging a convenience store manager, borrowing a phone and stealing some local wi-fi, we made it to bed before 3am (one-star rating for the Airbnb host, naturally). Such was the power of the phone company when you're on holiday, I still got pinged far-too-high amounts for calls and data used to attempt a check-in at the Irish abode.</p> <p>A reader recently contacted me wanting to avoid such a conundrum by asking for the best SIM cards available in Europe. Thankfully, EU law has recently shielded travellers from harsh cross-border roaming charges by ruling that providers cannot charge excessively for access to rival networks in fellow EU nations.</p> <p>You'll see the kiosks hawking pre-paid SIM packages at many major airports. If you want the dependability a SIM provides, assess your needs and shop around. </p> <p>Better yet, get to know your smartphone better and use the whole range of mobile apps that will soon make international call and text roaming redundant. Organising hotels, taxis, tours, dinner reservations as well as calling home and making your friends and colleagues jealous with holiday snaps can all be done with a wi-fi connections, which are readily available and far cheaper (if not free).</p> <p><strong>Avoid phone bill shock when you're away</strong></p> <ul> <li>Contact your mobile phone company rep about your destination and length of stay to see what add-ons and spending caps may be best.</li> <li>Only purchase local SIMs if you're in the country more than a week, have an unplanned itinerary or will have no free wi-fi at your accommodation.</li> <li>If you're on a per-day bundle, choose a few days to be on-the-grid and turn off your mobile data on other days.</li> <li>Go wi-fi only, in North American, Asian and European cities it's readily available.</li> <li>Embrace apps like Uber, Gett, WhatsApp, OpenTable and TripAdvisor to book taxis, call home and book restaurants and tours using hotel wi-fi and thus limiting calls.</li> </ul> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>Written by Josh Martin. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p>

Travel Tips

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1 in 4 households struggle to pay power bills. Here are 5 ways to tackle hidden energy poverty

<p><a href="https://energyconsumersaustralia.com.au/news/how-increases-in-energy-prices-are-impacting-consumers#:%7E:text=Energy%2520affordability%2520is%2520not%2520just,in%2520the%2520past%252012%2520months.">One in four Australian households</a> are finding it hard to pay their gas and electricity bills. As winter looms, <a href="https://www.aer.gov.au/news-release/default-market-offer-2023%25E2%2580%259324-draft-determination">energy price rises</a> will make it even harder. Cold homes and disconnections resulting from energy poverty threaten people’s health and wellbeing.</p> <p><a href="https://www.acoss.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ACOSS-cost-of-living-report2-March-2023_web_FINAL.pdf">Income support for welfare recipients</a> and retrofitting homes to make them more thermally efficient – by adding insulation, for example – can ease the burden. And when homes are not too cold or hot, <a href="https://theconversation.com/fuel-poverty-makes-you-sick-so-why-has-nothing-changed-since-i-was-a-child-living-in-a-cold-home-201787">people’s health benefits</a>. This in turn <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/319556">eases pressure on the public health system</a>.</p> <p>However, many people are missing out on assistance as programs often do not recognise their difficulties. Their energy vulnerability is hidden.</p> <h2>What forms does hidden energy poverty take?</h2> <p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629623000737">Our newly published study</a> has revealed six aspects of hidden energy vulnerability. These are:</p> <ol> <li> <p>underconsumption – households limit or turn off cooling, heating and/or lights to avoid disconnections</p> </li> <li> <p>incidental masking – other welfare support, such as rent relief, masks difficulties in paying energy bills</p> </li> <li> <p>some households disguise energy poverty by using public facilities such as showers or pooling money for bills between families</p> </li> <li> <p>some people conceal their hardship due to pride or fear of legal consequences, such as losing custody of children if food cannot be refrigerated because the power has been cut off</p> </li> <li> <p>poor understanding of energy efficiency and the health risks of cold or hot homes adds to the problem</p> </li> <li> <p>eligibility criteria for energy assistance programs may exclude some vulnerable households. For example, people with income just above the welfare threshold are missing out on energy concessions. Energy retailer hardship programs also ignore people who have voluntarily disconnected due to financial hardship.</p> </li> </ol> <h2>5 ways to help these households</h2> <p>Our studies suggest trusted intermediaries such as people working in health, energy and social services can play a vital role in identifying and supporting such households.</p> <p>First, energy efficiency and hardship initiatives may be <a href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/about/schools-colleges/property-construction-and-project-management/research/research-centres-and-groups/sustainable-building-innovation-laboratory/projects/care-at-home-system-improvements">integrated into the My Aged Care in-home care system</a>. Energy poverty risk identification, response and referral could be built into the national service’s assessment form. This could leverage existing client screening processes.</p> <p>The system’s front-line staff could connect at-risk householders with energy counsellors. These counsellors could help people access better energy contracts, concessions, home retrofits and appliance upgrade programs.</p> <p>A new Commonwealth “energy supplement” could help pay for essential energy-related home modifications. This would help avoid My Aged Care funds being diverted from immediate healthcare needs.</p> <p>Second, general practitioners and other health professionals could help identify energy vulnerability among patients with medical conditions of concern. They could also provide letters of support emphasising renters’ health-based need for air conditioners or heaters.</p> <p>Third, energy providers could use household energy data to identify those that seem to be under-consuming or are often disconnected. They could also identify those that are not on “best offer” deals. They could be proactive in checking struggling householders’ eligibility for ongoing energy concessions and one-off debt relief grants offered by states and territories.</p> <p>Energy providers could also make it easier for social housing providers to ensure concessions for tenants renew automatically.</p> <p>Fourth, local councils could use their data to identify at-risk householders. They might include those with a disability parking permit, discounted council rates or in arrears, on the social housing waiting list, Meals on Wheels clients and social housing tenants. Maternal and child health nurses and home and community care workers making home visits could call attention to cold or hot homes.</p> <p>Councils could employ in-house energy counsellors to provide assistance and energy literacy training. Council home maintenance teams could develop bulk-buying, insulation and neighbourhood retrofit programs.</p> <p>Strategies to reduce vulnerability to energy poverty should be part of municipal public health and wellbeing plans. Under these strategies, net-zero-carbon funds set up by states and local councils to reduce emissions could finance targeted housing retrofits.</p> <p>We also suggest setting up a central helpline to improve access to energy assistance via local referrals.</p> <p>Fifth, residential energy-efficiency programs could become more person-centric. For example, we already have <a href="https://www.homescorecard.gov.au/">Residential Efficiency Scorecard</a> audits to assess the thermal quality of a home. These audits could also explore whether concessions and better energy deals are available to the household.</p> <h2>Building capacity at all levels</h2> <p><a href="https://cur.org.au/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/tackling-hidden-energy-final.pdf">Capacity-building strategies</a> are needed at all levels – individual, community and government – to overcome the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629623000737">challenges</a> of reducing energy poverty. Current obstacles include the competing priorities of service providers, lack of time and resources, and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214629622003553">poor co-ordination between siloed</a> programs and services.</p> <p>Access to essential energy services should be part of state and local governments’ strategic health plans. Housing, energy and health departments could work together to include housing retrofits in preventive health programs.</p> <p>A comprehensive approach is needed to overcome hidden energy poverty. It must include public education, integrated services and well-funded energy-efficiency programs. Regulatory reforms and ongoing funding are both needed to improve the availability of energy-efficient, affordable homes for tenants.</p> <p>Our suggested strategies start with improving the skills and knowledge of trusted intermediaries. Doctors, social workers, housing officers, community nurses and volunteers can play a central role. Using these front-line professionals to help identify and act on energy poverty offers a novel, cost-effective and targeted solution.</p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-in-4-households-struggle-to-pay-power-bills-here-are-5-ways-to-tackle-hidden-energy-poverty-204672" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

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Dad’s horror at six-year-old’s massive bill

<p>A young boy from Michigan has learned a tasty lesson in money management.</p> <p>Six-year-old Mason Stonehouse had been playing on his dad’s phone when he discovered his soon-to-be favourite app - food delivery service Grubhub. </p> <p>After putting his son to bed, Mason’s father Keith was shocked to find delivery drivers began to frequent their doorstep, one after the other leaving something behind. Keith likened the strange evening to a<em> Saturday Night Live</em> skit, and in doorbell camera footage he could be heard asking one of the drivers “what the hell is going on?” </p> <p>A look at his phone confirmed that Mason had pulled off a parent’s nightmare - the boy had ordered almost $2,000 (AUD) of food from restaurants all across their town. </p> <p>Speaking with <em>TODAY.com</em>, Keith explained that the two were having father and son time in front of the TV when Mason asked to use Keith’s phone. Mason often uses his dad’s phone to play educational games, so Keith thought nothing of it, allowing Mason 30 minutes with the device. </p> <p>Keith recalled how Mason made his way downstairs to play, and went to bed without a fuss when his half hour was up. </p> <p>“A 6-year-old going to bed is not normally an easy thing but he was surprisingly really good,” he said. “There was no fight, no ‘I’m hungry’, or making up stuff to stay up. He just went to bed, and I was like, ‘Wow, this is amazing, I wish Mom was here to witness this’. And all of a sudden I hear the doorbell.”</p> <p>To various news outlets, Keith has mentioned how it was “car after car” that kept “coming and coming” to the family’s home in Chesterfield Township. In his own Facebook post about the incident, he shared Mason’s shopping list, telling his friends “if you’re hungry and you’re in the mood for 5 orders of jumbo shrimp, salad, grape leaves, rice, 3 hanis, several orders of chilli cheese fries, chicken shawarma sandwiches, and plenty of Ice cream - swing on by SMH.”</p> <p>Keith saw Mason’s delectable adventure to an end when his bank declined an order of $635 (AUD) for pepperoni pizza. As he told <em>Good Morning America</em>, this “would’ve been on top of the $1,000 worth of food that was piling in my kitchen.”</p> <p>This wasn’t even Mason’s first order of the evening from the same establishment - Happy’s Pizza for a happy Mason - with a sizable jumbo shrimp delivery already having made it to their doorstep. </p> <p><em>MLive.com </em>heard from Keith that he tried to speak to Mason about what had happened, but soon discovered that their priorities weren’t exactly aligned, “I was trying to explain to him that this wasn’t good and he puts his hand up and stops me and says, ‘Dad, did the pepperoni pizzas come yet?’”</p> <p>“I had to walk out of the room. I didn’t know if I should get mad or laugh,” he admitted. </p> <p>Whether the entire situation prompted more amusement or exasperation from the Stonehouses, they assured everyone that none of Mason’s bouncy went to waste, with the food going to their neighbours, and their phones well away from Mason’s sneaky shopping. </p> <p><em>Images: Facebook </em></p>

Money & Banking

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Banksy: who should foot the bill to protect his work in public spaces?

<p>When a mural by artist Banksy <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46617742">appeared on a garage wall</a> in Port Talbot, the building’s owner, Ian Lewis, had no idea just <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46771722">how many people</a> would want to get a good look at it. The mural has attracted <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46759349">thousands of visitors</a> and Lewis has been keen to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46617742">protect it</a>, by employing guards, and building a see-through covering over the work.</p> <p>But should there even be security on a piece of graffiti? After all, <a href="https://hyperallergic.com/38778/occupying-the-walls-graffiti-as-political-protest/">the essence of graffiti</a> is that it is temporary and subject to the possibility of being covered over with the next slogan or image. It has long been one of the means by which people can <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2017/may/17/writing-wall-political-graffiti-banksy-brexit-trump-in-pictures">make their views known</a> in a very public way without official sanction. It is a form of protest that visually takes up public space and asks for no endorsement and often no individual credit.</p> <p>The list of graffiti artists who have gained recognition in the contemporary art world is not a long one. Shepherd Fairey, who <a href="https://www.artic.edu/artworks/229396/barack-obama-hope-poster">designed the Obama “Hope” poster</a>, and <a href="https://www.theartstory.org/artist-basquiat-jean-michel.htm">Jean Michel Basquiat</a> are two of the most well known. Banksy himself has been quoted as saying that he never craved commercial success and that it’s actually <a href="https://www.villagevoice.com/2013/10/09/village-voice-exclusive-an-interview-with-banksy-street-art-cult-hero-international-man-of-mystery/">a mark of failure for a graffiti artist</a>. </p> <p>A lofty sentiment, but whether he wants it or not, the popularity of Banksy’s work is phenomenal. The pared down stencil style coupled with often highly astute political commentary and visual puns is easy to read. It is enough to satisfy even those for whom art should consist of a “proper picture of something”.</p> <p>It also lends itself very well to reproduction and copying. I actually have a mug emblazoned with Banksy style rats sitting on my desk as I write. This is what happens when an iconoclast becomes an icon. What started out as a practice that deliberately subverted the concept of art as an exclusive, costly investment, has now become just as commodified as the latest piece by <a href="https://www.theartstory.org/artist-hirst-damien.htm">Damien Hirst</a>.</p> <h2>Banksy’s bankability</h2> <p>I’m personally on the fence about some of Banksy’s more recent work. I’m completely on board with the political nature of the imagery and most definitely share a lot of his ideological sentiments, but there is a degree to which he is becoming a parody of himself. For example, while it’s easy to appreciate the point he was making with the recently auctioned self-destructing drawing “<a href="https://theconversation.com/banksy-i-was-in-the-room-when-his-painting-shredded-and-enhanced-his-brand-104660">Love is in the Bin</a>”, no one could convince me that he was unaware of the effect that the action would have on his bankability.</p> <p>Given he knows the impact his work can have, was it selfish of Banksy to impose this latest piece on the unsuspecting garage owner? Or was it an act of extreme philanthropy, bestowing on Port Talbot a gift that can be used either to benefit the individual or the community? He must have known that Lewis would be plagued with attention, and the inevitability of this imposed cultural responsibility must surely have at least crossed Banksy’s mind. </p> <p>Public art comes in many diverse forms, from the monumental statues commemorating historical figures, to the temporary and often illegal murals created by contemporary graffiti artists. My own practice is informed by an ethos of inclusion that places the nearby community at the centre of decisions about how it is created, themed and managed.</p> <p>Because of that philosophical background, I do find Banksy’s imposition of his work without regard for its effect on the local community to be irritatingly entitled. However, the <a href="https://www.theartstory.org/artist-banksy-artworks.htm">issues he highlights</a> such as the <a href="https://theartstack.com/artist/banksy/i-remember-when-all-this-was-trees">capitalist obsession with growth</a> over sustainability, and <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/banksy-port-talbot-graffiti-wales-michael-sheen-steel-pollution-environment-a8692821.html">industrial air pollution</a> are relevant and important to a much wider community, so I appreciate that by using his fame to draw attention to them he is carrying out a form of community service.</p> <p>The Welsh government <a href="https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/banksy-collector-willing-pay-six-15656998">has since confirmed</a> it will be taking over security for the Port Talbot artwork, and is discussing the future of the piece. Whether by design or because he just isn’t interested in how the work is used, it’s part of Banksy’s artistic practice to leave the work to the mercy of others when it’s complete. However, it could be argued that he could have used <a href="https://www.artspace.com/magazine/art_101/close_look/how-does-banksy-make-money-or-a-lesson-in-art-market-economics-55352">some of his own money</a> to help protect the work, and mitigate against any grief <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46810787">he’s caused the garage owner</a>.</p> <p>I’d personally like to see the work sold, and the proceeds used to address some of the social and political issues that Banksy highlights with his work. It worked for Dennis Stinchcombe who, when a mural entitled Mobile Lovers appeared on the doorway of his Bristol youth club in 2014, sold the work and used the funds <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46810787">to save the struggling organisation</a>. </p> <p>Whatever happens now, one thing is certain: Banksy certainly knows how to get his work in the news.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/banksy-who-should-foot-the-bill-to-protect-his-work-in-public-spaces-109831" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

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Building and construction emissions and energy use reaches record levels

<p>Despite improvements in energy efficiency, greenhouse pollution levels from the building and construction sector reached an all-time high in 2021.</p> <p>A new report on the building and construction sector by the United Nations Environment Programme released for COP27 found energy demand in buildings – for heating, cooling, lighting and equipment – increased by 4% from 2020 levels. As a result, the sector’s emissions increased 5% compared to 2020.</p> <p>While the increase partly reflects a re-bound in building and construction activities after the pandemic, energy and emissions levels were also above 2019 levels.</p> <p>This is significant because the sector accounts for around a third of total energy demand, the report says.</p> <p>The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the opening forum of COP27 that the future of the planet is in our hands. “…and the clock is ticking. We are in the fight of our lives. And we are losing. Greenhouse gas emissions keep growing. Global temperatures keep rising. And our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible.</p> <p>“We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator. “</p> <p>With the release of the report, UNEP executive director, Inger Andersen added: “If we do not rapidly cut emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, we will be in deeper trouble.”</p> <p>The UNEP report argues investments in energy efficiency must be sustained in the face of growing crises – such as the war in Ukraine and rising energy and living costs – to help with reducing energy demand, avoiding greenhouse gas pollution and reducing energy cost volatility.</p> <p>“The solution may lie in governments directing relief towards low and zero-carbon building investment activities through financial and non-financial incentives,” Andersen says.</p> <p>Also critical to reducing the sector’s emissions are including buildings in climate pledges under the Paris Agreement – known as Nationally Determined Contributions – and mandatory building energy codes.</p> <p>The report’s recommendations include: building coalitions of stakeholders in support of sustainable buildings, governments introducing mandatory building energy codes and government policies, increasing investment in energy efficiency and commitments from industry.</p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=222598&amp;title=Building+and+construction+emissions+and+energy+use+reaches+record+levels" width="1" height="1" /></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/building-emissions-reach-record-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on Cosmos Magazine and was written by Petra Stock. </em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

Real Estate

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"Is this real?" Family in shock after Kate Winslet pays $30k power bill

<p>Kate Winslet has stepped in to help ease the financial strain on a hard-working family, who are full-time carers for their disabled daughter. </p> <p>Mum-of-four Carolynne Hunter started a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/medical-care-for-freya-amid-the-energycrisis?qid=3ad717b05ab76c3332ad308b4e5d11ae" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page to help pay for her electricity bill after they were warned by the council that their bill – normally already high at £6500 ($A11,500) a year – was going to almost triple to the eye-watering amount of £17,000 ($A30,000). </p> <p>Carolynne said her daughter Freya, 12, has severe cerebral palsy and chronic breathing problems, and relies on the oxygen machine to help her breathe.</p> <p>“Freya has the most beautiful smile,” Ms Hunter wrote in the GoFundMe. She said her daughter was “enriching our lives every day”.</p> <p>With the cost of living crisis reaching catastrophic levels in the UK, the family, who live in a council house in the Scottish town of Tillicoultry, didn’t know how they were going to afford the massive bills.</p> <p>“I have no way of reducing the usage of energy in our home,” the 49-year-old mum wrote. “My older daughter and I have historically lived in fuel poverty to keep Freya safe and comfortable making sure all her medical needs are being met whilst allowing me to keep my bills as low as possible. </p> <p>“We dread every winter in our cold home.”</p> <p>Carolynne got the shock of her life when her GoFundMe page raised the amount of money needed with one donation, with the $30,000 gift coming from "Kate Winslet and Family".</p> <p>The mum told <a title="www.bbc.com" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-63599369">BBC Scotland</a> she “burst into tears” at the news that the actress had made the huge donation.</p> <p>“Our journey as family has been very traumatic and I just feel done at this point in my life,” she said.</p> <p>“When I heard about the money I just burst into tears – I thought it wasn’t even real. I’m still thinking is this real?”</p> <p><em>Image credits: GoFundMe / Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

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Tips to save energy in the kitchen

<p>One room in the house where big energy savings can be made easily is perhaps the least expected: the kitchen. Here’s what to do to cut down on those power bills.</p> <p><strong>Refrigerator</strong></p> <ul> <li>Ensure door seals are working effectively by placing a piece of paper between the seal and door. If the paper moves in and out, your seal isn’t doing its jobs. Adjust the door or replace seals.</li> <li>Defrost fridge and freezer regularly. Frost build up should never be more than half a centimetre.</li> <li>Refrigerators work most effectively if they are mostly full. Make sure there’s enough room between foods for air to circulate.</li> <li>Don't keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold. The recommended temperatures are between 0°C to 4°C for fresh food, close to -18°C for the freezer and close to 0°C for the chiller compartment.</li> <li>Know the contents of your fridge so you don’t spend unnecessary time with the fridge door wide open. It’s drilled into you when you’re kids but it’s always worth remembering: the less you open the door, the less electricity is used.</li> <li>If you are going on holidays for an extended period of time, it may be worth turning off you refrigerator. </li> </ul> <p><strong>Oven, rangehood and cooktops</strong></p> <ul> <li>Clean door seals regularly and check for signs of wear. Replace flat or split door seals.</li> <li>Regularly clean surfaces for full heating benefits.</li> <li>Turn off the rangehood lights when not needed and use exhaust fan on the lowest speed. </li> </ul> <p><strong>Dishwasher</strong></p> <ul> <li>Most of the energy used by a dishwasher is for water heating. Check the manual to see if your dishwasher has internal heating elements that will allow you to set the water heater to a lower temperature.</li> <li>Only run dishwashers when full but not overloaded.</li> <li>Scrape, don’t rinse, leftover food on your plates. </li> </ul> <p><strong>Other</strong></p> <ul> <li>Small appliances like electric kettles, toasters and grills generally provide better value than using the stove or oven.</li> <li>Place the faucet level on the kitchen sinks on cold. Placing the tap on hot position draws hot water even though you are not using it. </li> </ul> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Home & Garden

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7 tricks to use less phone data – and lower your phone bill

<p><strong>Turn off background app refresh</strong></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/01-background-simple-ways-use-less-data-770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="514" /></p> <p>When this feature is enabled, your apps are constantly refreshing so that they can show you the most recent content when opened. This includes email synching, weather widgets updating, and feeds refreshing. For the iPhone: Turn off the background app refresh by going to Settings &gt; General &gt; Background App Refresh. For Android: Go to Settings &gt; Data Usage &gt; Restrict app background data. This will allow you to turn the feature off for all apps or you can pick and choose which ones you want to turn off.</p> <p><strong>Disable apps that use a lot of data</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/02-disable-simple-ways-use-less-data-770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="514" /></strong></p> <p>There are certain apps that use more data than others, whether you use them frequently or not. For ones that you don’t use often, turn off cellular data. For the iPhone: Go to Settings &gt; Cellular &gt; then under “Use Cellular Data For” switch certain apps to off.</p> <p><strong>Turn off app updates</strong></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/03-updates-simple-ways-use-less-data-770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="514" /></p> <p>If your apps update automatically your phone will start the download whether you are connected to Wi-Fi or not. To turn this off on an iPhone, go to Settings &gt; iTunes &amp; App Stores &gt; turn off Use Cellular Data. For an Android, go to Settings &gt; under General click Auto-update apps &gt; Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only. Then, your apps will only update when you are connected to Wi-Fi.</p> <p><strong>Turn off Wi-Fi assist</strong></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/04-wifi-simple-ways-use-less-data-770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="514" /></p> <p>Wi-Fi assist automatically uses your cellular data when the Wi-Fi signal is poor. To disable Wi-Fi assist for an iPhone go to Settings &gt; Cellular &gt; turn off Wi-Fi Assist.</p> <p><strong>Turn off iCloud drive</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/05-icloud-simple-ways-use-less-data-770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="514" /></strong></p> <p>When iCloud is enabled it is constantly moving documents in and out of the cloud. Use less cell phone data by turning iCloud off. To do this on the iPhone got to Settings &gt; iCloud &gt; turn off iCloud Drive.</p> <p><strong>Download music</strong></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/06-download-simple-ways-use-less-data-770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="514" /></p> <p>When you are on the go, streaming music, podcasts, or videos can really eat away at your data. Both the iPhone and Android phones let you restrict these apps to Wi-Fi only. Turning this setting on will force you to download them when connected to a Wi-Fi network and then allow for data free listening on the move.</p> <p><strong>Turn off cellular data completely</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/07-turn-simple-ways-use-less-data-770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="514" /></strong></p> <p>If you know that you are about to reach you data limit or are saving it for the road trip you have coming up, you can simply turn off cellular data. This way, no data will be used, and certain apps will only work if you are connected to a Wi-Fi network.</p> <p><em>Written by M</em><em>organ Cutolo</em><em>. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/culture/7-tricks-to-use-less-phone-data-and-lower-your-phone-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></em></p> <p><em>Images: </em><em>NICOLE FORNABAIO/RD.COM</em></p>

Technology

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Simple tricks to reduce your winter energy bills

<p>It’s that time of the year when the temperature drops and your energy bills start to go in the opposite direction – up! Stay warm and reduce your bills with these simple tricks to help you save energy.</p> <p>Winter is a time when we love to hibernate at home and stay toasty warm but the impact this can have on the electricity bill can be enormous. Having said that, it’s possible to stay warm and reduce the chill on your hip pocket with smart ways of keeping your home and yourself warm during winter.</p> <p><strong>Rug up</strong><br />An easy way to save electricity and stay warm in winter is to put on suitable clothing. A big woolly jumper, warm pants and indoor slippers are not only comfortable for relaxing around the home, they’ll also keep you toasty warm. While you don’t have to resort to wearing a big coat or jacket inside your own home, it’s a good idea to put on an extra couple of layers and save having to switch on the heater. However, don’t endure being cold for the sake of not putting on your heater. Find what works for you, as long you’re comfortable and warm.</p> <p><strong>Seal your home</strong><br />Chilly draughts from poorly sealed windows and doors can be both a nuisance and account for a big percentage of heat loss from naturally insulated rooms or the heater. Keep the heat inside by sealing any gaps and cracks in external walls, floors and the ceiling. You can seal external doors with draught stoppers or those classic door snakes at the bottom of doors, and install weather stripping around the frames.</p> <p><strong>Load up on blankets</strong><br />Who needs an electric blanket when you can add any number of layers to your bed? It can be duvets, doonas, quilts and comforters, just keep layering until your bed is a warm haven. A good tip is when you’re about to go to bed, to get the same instant warmness as an electric blanket, heat a hot water bottle and pop it between the sheets. While it won’t heat the entire bed evenly, it can make the bed feel warmer while your body adjusts to the enclosed space.</p> <p><strong>Let the sun in</strong><br />Winter can sometimes offer up a surprise in the form of a clear blue sky and some warming sunlight. When it does, open up the windows and doors (if there’s no cool breeze) and allow the natural rays to heat your home naturally.</p> <p><strong>Shop around for energy providers</strong><br />This is the best way to make sure you’re getting a good deal on your energy usage. Depending on what state you live in, you should be able to find a range of energy retailers offering competitive prices for their services.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Food and drinks are getting sweeter

<p>Humans have an evolutionary preference for sweetness. Sweet foods, like fruit and honey, <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-taste-for-sweet-an-anthropologist-explains-the-evolutionary-origins-of-why-youre-programmed-to-love-sugar-173197" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were an important energy source</a> for our ancestors.</p> <p>However, in the modern world, sweetened foods are readily available, very cheap and advertised extensively. Now, we are consuming too much sugar in foods and drinks – the kind that is added rather than sugar that is naturally occurring. Consuming too much added sugar is <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar#:%7E:text=%22The%20effects%20of%20added%20sugar,Hu." target="_blank" rel="noopener">bad news</a> for health. It is linked to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/obr.12040" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obesity</a>, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-carbohydrates-and-health-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">type 2 diabetes and tooth decay</a>.</p> <p>Because of these health concerns, manufacturers started using non-nutritive sweeteners to sweeten food as well. These sweeteners contain little to no kilojoules and include both artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, and those that come from natural sources, such as stevia.</p> <p>Our research, <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/global-trends-in-added-sugars-and-nonnutritive-sweetener-use-in-the-packaged-food-supply-drivers-and-implications-for-public-health/A6375EB569DCDA4899730EC40C69D1CC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published here</a>, shows the amount of added sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners in packaged foods and drinks has grown a lot over the last decade. This is especially true in middle-income countries, such as China and India, as well as in the Asia Pacific, including Australia.</p> <h2>From lollies to biscuits to drinks</h2> <p>Using market sales data from around the globe, we looked at the quantity of added sugar and non-nutritive sweeteners sold in packaged foods and drinks from 2007 to 2019.</p> <p>We found per person volumes of non-nutritive sweeteners in drinks is now 36% higher globally. Added sugars in packaged food is 9% higher.</p> <p>Non-nutritive sweeteners are most commonly added to confectionery. Ice creams and sweet biscuits are the fastest-growing food categories in terms of these sweeteners. The expanding use of added sugars and other sweeteners over the last decade means, overall, our packaged food supply is getting sweeter.</p> <p>Our analysis shows the amount of added sugar used to sweeten drinks has increased globally. However, this is largely explained by a 50% increase in middle-income countries, such as China and India. Use has decreased in high-income countries, such as Australia and the United States.</p> <p><a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/added-sugar-in-the-diet/#:%7E:text=The%20AHA%20suggests%20a%20stricter,of%20sugar%20for%20most%20men." target="_blank" rel="noopener">It is recommended</a> men consume less than nine teaspoons of sugar a day, while women should have less than six. However, because sugar is added to so many foods and drinks, over half of <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/lookup/4364.0.55.011main+features12011-12#:%7E:text=In%202011%2D12%2C%20Australians%20consumed,from%20honey%20and%20fruit%20juice." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australians exceed recommendations</a>, eating an average of 14 teaspoons a day.</p> <p>The shift from using added sugar to sweeteners to sweeten drinks is most common in carbonated soft drinks and bottled water. The World Health Organization is <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/articles-detail/online-public-consultation-draft-guideline-on-use-of-non-sugar-sweeteners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">developing guidelines</a> on the use of <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240046429" target="_blank" rel="noopener">non-sugar sweeteners</a>.</p> <h2>Rich and poor countries</h2> <p>There is a difference in added sugar and sweetener use between richer and poorer countries. The market for packaged food and beverages in high-income countries has become saturated. To continue to grow, large food and beverage corporations are <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/obr.13126" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expanding into middle-income countries</a>.</p> <p>Our findings demonstrate a double standard in the sweetening of the food supply, with manufacturers providing less sweet, “healthier” products in richer countries.</p> <h2>Unexpected consequences of control</h2> <p>To reduce the health harms of high added sugar intakes, many governments have acted to curb their use and consumption. Sugar levies, education campaigns, advertising restrictions and labelling <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/nutrition-research-reviews/article/abs/drivers-trends-and-dietary-impacts-of-nonnutritive-sweeteners-in-the-food-supply-a-narrative-review/32B903F1CAB239800F2C98279541B4C0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are among these measures</a>.</p> <p>But such actions can encourage manufacturers to partially or completely substitute sugar with non-nutritive sweeteners to avoid penalties or cater to evolving population preferences.</p> <p>In our study, we found regions with a higher number of policy actions to reduce sugar intakes had a significant increase in non-nutritive sweeteners sold in drinks.</p> <h2>Why is this a problem</h2> <p>While the harms of consuming too much added sugar are well known, relying on non-nutritive sweeteners as a solution also carries risk. Despite their lack of dietary energy, recent <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240046429" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reviews</a>, suggest consuming non-nutritive sweeteners may be linked with <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240046429" target="_blank" rel="noopener">type 2 diabetes and heart disease</a> and can disrupt the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/10/suppl_1/S31/5307224" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gut microbiome</a>.</p> <p>And because they are sweet, ingesting non-nutritive sweeteners <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240046429" target="_blank" rel="noopener">influences our palates</a> and encourages us to want more sweet food. This is of particular concern for children, who are still developing their lifelong taste preferences. Additionally, certain non-nutritive sweeteners are considered <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0147651318313368" target="_blank" rel="noopener">environmental contaminants</a> and are not effectively removed from wastewater.</p> <p>Non-nutritive sweeteners are only found in <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/ultraprocessed-foods-what-they-are-and-how-to-identify-them/E6D744D714B1FF09D5BCA3E74D53A185" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ultra-processed foods</a>. These foods are industrially made, contain ingredients you would not find in a home kitchen, and are designed to be “hyper-palatable”. Eating more ultra-processed foods is linked with more <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/7/1955" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and death</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/ultra-processed-foods-are-trashing-our-health-and-the-planet-180115" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ultra-processed</a> foods are also <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(20)30177-7/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">environmentally harmful</a> because they use significant resources such as energy, water, packaging materials and plastic waste.</p> <p>Foods that contain sweeteners can receive a “health halo” if they don’t contain sugar, misleading the public and potentially displacing nutritious, whole foods in the diet.</p> <h2>Focus on nutrition</h2> <p>When making policy to improve public health nutrition, it is important to consider unintended consequences. Rather than focusing on specific nutrients, there is merit in advocating for policy that considers the broader aspects of food, including cultural importance, level of processing and environmental impacts. Such policy should promote nutritious, minimally processed foods.</p> <p>We need to closely monitor the increasing sweetness of food and drinks and the growing use of added sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners. It is likely to shape our future taste preferences, food choices and human and planetary health.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/food-and-drinks-are-getting-sweeter-even-if-its-not-all-sugar-its-bad-for-our-health-187605" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Body

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Woman “harassed” over previous tenant’s 78 cent bill

<p dir="ltr">A furious Sydney has slammed energy provider Dodo for “harassing” her over an unpaid energy bill belonging to the previous tenant. </p> <p dir="ltr">Since moving into her new rental apartment just two months ago, she has received several urgent notices concerning the “outrageous debt” of just 78 cents. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Who the f*** is running this company?” she wrote in a fuming post to Facebook on Friday, answering her own question, “A pack of f**kin dodos”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve been in this apartment two months, this is the third – that’s THREE – letter of demand for the outrageous debt of 78 cents owed by the former tenant,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman then speculated that it cost the energy provider more than the amount owing on the bill to send the letters in the first place. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s cost them a sh**tonne more than that in postal costs, let alone the wages of the person I gave an ear bashing to,” she wrote, instructing the company to “bog off”.</p> <p dir="ltr">She then included a photo of the bill in question, which read, “This notice is to advise you that your final electricity amount remains unpaid and is overdue, as a result of your Pay on Time discount has been removed and the total amount of $00.78 is now overdue.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The company’s persistence caused many online to react in a similar way to the recipient of the letter, with many in disbelief at why they don’t just let it go.</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman clarified in a comment she called Dodo after receiving the invoice for a second time, but it seemed her effort had been wasted. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I have called them after the second letter to inform them the dude was no longer living here. They wanted to know my name … and eventually said they’d fix it up,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Maybe they thought they’d give it one last go – after all, it’s the princely sum of 78 cents at stake! Next time I will demand a recompense.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

Real Estate

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How to choose the best solar panels for your home

<p dir="ltr">The solar industry has seen a rapid growth over the past decade and become the cleanest, greenest and cheapest source of electricity.</p> <p dir="ltr">As electricity bills continue to rise at an exponential level, switching to solar makes sense. </p> <p dir="ltr">With many solar providers out there offering different services for widely differing costs, it's easy to get lost in the semantics of switching to solar. </p> <p dir="ltr">Luckily, Beau Savage, Co-Founder of <a href="https://smartenergy.co/au/">Smart Energy</a>, has shared his top tips to consider when finding the right solar provider for your home.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Evaluate your home</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The first step is to figure out if solar power is right for you. </p> <p dir="ltr">There are a few reasons why solar might not suit, including renters, apartment-dwellers, and anyone who lives in a shady spot might not be the ideal candidate for solar power.</p> <p dir="ltr">Luckily there are other ways to reduce your carbon footprint.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If conditions don’t suit, it might be better to invest in a 100 per cent carbon neutral energy plan,” says Beau.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Do your research</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Shopping for solar is no different to buying new furniture. </p> <p dir="ltr">It’s important to shop around for the best deal by looking at user reviews, comparing prices and services, and talking to experts before locking down a provider. </p> <p dir="ltr">Beau says, “The only negative reviews you want to see appearing on a good company should be from those who delayed getting and wished they’d done it sooner.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Find the right company</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">While there’s nothing wrong with prioritising affordability and cost comparison, be aware that low costs can occasionally translate to poor customer service and unreliable installers.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to Beau, “For the best long term results, choose a solar company who uses local installers so that if there is a problem, there will always be someone ready to immediately fix the issue.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Find the right spot</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">When it comes to solar power, location is key. </p> <p dir="ltr">The last thing you want is to discover that your installer has placed the panels in a bad spot, which only leads to more costs to correct the error. </p> <p dir="ltr">“When having an initial consultation it is essential to ask whether or not the company you are talking to sends trained engineers who can look at your roof, its shading and sunlight levels. This will ensure that you will get the most out of your solar system.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In order to get the most of your solar power, make sure there are no obstructions to your panels, and be sure to monitor the system’s performance to make sure you’re getting the very best green energy. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Home & Garden

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