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GOLD Award winners under the Green Tourism Business Scheme
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Dowfold House’s Green Policies
Right from the word go, we have determined to run Dowfold
House as efficiently and with as little harm to the environment as possible.
When we bought the house, we didn’t even know that the Green Tourism
Business Scheme existed, but we have been very keen to join it so that the
“green movement” is encouraged from both a domestic and business point of
view.
Energy
- As of
July 2011, we are generating our OWN Electricity, from 16 photo-voltaic panels
on our roof, with a nominal capacity of 3.76KwH. Our mains electricity comes
from Scottish Power under their Green Energy scheme.
- All our light
bulbs are now energy saving ones. NEW: You can try them too! A
free bulb with every room. Click HERE for more
details
- We have been totally
rewired and try to run as much domestic machinery at night on cheaper rate
electricity. Time switches are
used.
- We switch off as many
lights and standbys as possible when not in use.
- Our chimneys and flues
are swept once a year for maximum efficiency.
- Although it is oil
fired, our boiler is modern and fuel efficient. We are investigating the possibility of supplementing it with a
biomass boiler or a ground-source heat pump within the next few years.
- Hot water cylinders are
lagged to the maximum capacity.
- Our loft is well
insulated - 10" at least.
- Small (0.8litre
capacity) kettles are provided in guests’ rooms, so only just enough water
for two cups is boiled.
- As electrical equipment
is replaced, we are making sure that the new goods are at least A rated for
efficiency.
Recycling
- We try to recycle as
much as we can. The
council takes away glass, paper, plastics and cans. We arrange for
careful disposal of our old low-power lights and of batteries.
Guests are invited to recycle rubbish in the porch area between the stables
and the side block of the house.
- We are members of
Freegle
(where you offer unwanted stuff at no cost)
and much of our unwanted “stuff” goes that way, or to a local charity
shop.
- We compost all vegetable
waste from the kitchen and garden. Tea
bags go on the compost heap and coffee grounds help deter slugs and snails
from tender plants.
- Much of our printing is
done on once used printed A4 sheets.
- We
use almost entirely recycled paper stock in our printer - and, of course,
avoid printing like the plague!.
Water
- We are gradually fitting
more water butts, currently six, but the capacity for 3 or 4 more is there!
- Our larger WC cisterns
have “hippos” or equivalent fitted.
- We are encouraging
guests to drink tap water from a carafe (re-filled each day, with the left-overs
going to the garden) in their rooms rather than environmentally expensive
bottled water. Bottled water is
provided, at present, but from as close a source as possible.
Produce
- We buy as much as we can
from local suppliers and farms.
- Much of our fruit is
home grown, in season, and jam is mostly homemade.
- We
now bake our own bread and make our own potato bread, and are looking into
bringing other things in-house (e.g. freshly squeezed orange juice)
- Flowers and plants in
the house are usually home grown.
- Our tea and coffee
supplies come from a local
merchant or are Fairtrade brands.
Wild life
- We try to encourage the
birds to our garden with several feeders around.
- We
have a log book and binoculars for guests to use and to record what they have
seen. We fill it in too.
- There are wilder areas
for other creatures to shelter and we do have a small pond, which is
developing nicely. Watch out for the frogs!
- We also have a nascent
wild-flower - well, I hesitate to call it a meadow, but it's a start, and
quite pretty.
Laundry
- We ask guests to keep
the same bed linen for their stay. If
longer than 7 days, changing will be discussed.
- We have a towel policy
of keeping the same ones for a short stay. When new ones are desired,
they are to be put in the bath/shower tray.
- Where possible, laundry
is dried outside. If it's wet, then we use a
pulley in the boiler room.
- Most washing is done at
low temperatures with non-detergent balls or “green” washing powder.
- A tumble dryer is only
used in EXTREME situations!
Cleaning Products
- We
have changed to “green” products where they are efficient. Ecover and Bio.D
are our favoured brands. Sainsbury’s “Clean Home” environmentally friendly
dishwasher tabs are the best and most economic of the readily available
products. available.
- Lavatory paper, facial
tissues and kitchen roll is either recycled or made from
FSC (Forest
Stewardship Council) approved paper.
- A good deal of cleaning
around the house is done with diluted disinfectant or dilute vinegar and
water, re-using spray cleaning bottles.
- A carpet sweeper, rather
than a vacuum cleaner is often used.
- Guests are asked to use
the liquid soap provided rather than the miniatures.
- A choice of non-SLS
toiletries, often organic, is also available.
Transport
- We don’t live on a bus
route and most of our visitors do arrive by car.
However, we always send out details of public transport with our
booking confirmations, and we do have storage for bicycles.
Besides the GTBS,
we are members of the local Weardale
Visitors Network, Visit
Britain, the National
Trust and the Royal
Horticultural Society, and are listed on the North
Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
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