CONSUMER TIPS

Environment Preservation

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

HOW TO SAVE ENVIRONMENT WHEN YOU SHOP? (Adapted from Mother Nature’s Shopping List – Michael D Shook)

In the current price increase in daily goods, consumers now need to address their consumption habits. The sustainable consumption methods will play a better role.

Buy locally grown/manufactured products
This is due to usage of fossil fuel and less emission to environment during the transportation.

Processed fruits and vegetables (canned)
Choice of buying a canned or frozen food should be avoided as they are usually overpackaged and contains additives such as salt, sugar, artificial colouring, and flavour.

Buy fresh and organically grown products
Organic farming (or sustainable farming with Good Agriculture Practise) pose much lesser harm to the nature. It may be slightly expensive but it is out bit to the environment.

Milks and eggs
Buy milk that is packed in recyclable packaging (carton or glass bottle) and eggs with recycled paper packaging. Support organically harvested milk and egg as they do not use genetically engineered hormones to produce more harvest.

Cereals
Buy boxes that are recycled and recyclable. Prevent buying mini packages (more waste), buy big package and seal it in containers at home.

Beverages (bottled water, juice boxes, other drinks)
Some of this drinks can be made at home; it cost much less and pose very little impact to the environment compared to the manufacturing process of this beverages. In a case consumers buy such products, make sure the packaging is recyclable.

Pasta, bean, grain, curry powders
Support products that is obtained from sustainable farming with good agriculture practises. Consumers selection makes huge differences in this part as it is on of the mostly used Malaysian goods.

Meats (Chicken, beef, mutton and pork)
Reduction in consumption of meat will reduce the animal waste as the demand for such food will be reduced. (20 vegetarians can be fed on a land that is needed to feed one person who eats meat)

Paper products
Support recycled paper products and packaging. Do not forget to use both side of the paper before sending it for recycling.

Styrofoam
Avoid Styrofoam overall. Benzene (carcinogenic-can cause cancer) is a part of it, non-biodegradable and it can be in landfill for years.

Cleaning supplies
Most cleaning agents are highly toxic and contain harmful chemicals. Buy one type of cleaning agent for all cleaning purposes. Support eco-friendly cleaning agents and buy refills.

Bring your own bag
This will reduce the usage of plastic bags that are used in shopping complexes.

Tips to clean metals
Aluminium - clean with lemon juice or white vinegar
Brass and copper - clean with lemon juice with salt or with baking soda
Chrome - rub with undiluted vinegar or rub with a lemon peel then rinse and wipe
Gold - wash in lukewarm soapy water, dry, and then polish with a soft chamois cloth
Silver - soak for ten to fifteen minutes on one quart warm water, one teaspoon baking soda, one teaspoon salt, and a piece of aluminium foil, then wipe with warm water.

Safe household cleaning products
Baking soda – all purpose cleaner to remove odour and to polish, and even clean teeth
Beeswax – furniture polish
Lemon juice – cleaner and grease remover
Mineral oil – wood and furniture polish
Pure soap (made without additives) – all purpose cleaner
Salt – all-around household cleaner
Vinegar – cuts grease, removes odour, and prevents the growth of mold

Energy Saving Tips in House And Office

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

Be a Sustainable Consumer:

Energy Saving Tips in House and Office

1. Do Energy Audit at home. This will ensure proper wiring system for your home or office usage.

2. The air conditioner’s filters must be cleaned very often. Free air flow reduces energy consumption.

3. The compressor should be cleaned with garden hose (make sure the power is switched off). Keep plants away at least I feet from the compressor.

4. Turn off lighting appliances during day time.

5. For houses that has land plant tree for shades. Shades from the trees will reduce heating effect to the house.

6. To circulate the air use ceiling fans throughout the house. Lesser usage of energy. Allow natural air flow as well.

7. Set the fan on your central air conditioner to "on" rather than "auto." Constant air circulation will help in stable room temperature.

8. It is important to get the right size of air conditioner. Large units will waste a lot of energy and turn on and off frequently.

9. Set your air conditioner temperature about 24°C to 26°C, lower (24°C) during hot weather and higher (26°C) during rainy days. Use natural air flow whenever possible.

10. Water heater temperature can be set between low and medium to save energy.

11. Water saving shower heads will be able to save energy using less energy for less water.

12. Fix leaking piping, especially if it's a hot water faucet.

13. Taking shower is better than soaking in bath tubs. More hot water used the more the wastage.

14. Smaller electrical kitchen appliances help to reduce energy consumption. Some of the equipments use nearly 75 % less energy compared to large ovens.

15. Refrigerator coils must be vacuumed at least twice a year to keep the compressor running efficiently.

16. 30% of cooled air will escape every time the refrigerator door is opened. The same rule goes for oven.

17. Do not overload the refrigerator or freezer, cold air needs to circulate freely to keep food at the proper temperature.

18. Place the refrigerator so that it can automatically swing and shut the door. This will prevent wastage of energy if the door is left open.

19. Refrigerator door seal must be checked. Place a One Ringgit bill and close the door. If you can pull the bill, you need to replace the gasket.

20. Use your oven's self-cleaning feature immediately after cooking, while the oven is still hot. This will reduce a lengthy warm-up time.

21. Cover your pots and pans to reduce cooking time, and place the pans according to burner size.

22. Wash clothes on full load. Make sure you set the water level properly.

23. Always use cold water for the rinse cycle, hot water can be used only for dirty loads in washing machines.

24. Prevent using driers on sunny day, we are blessed with a lot of sunshine. Ultraviolet from the sun also kills pathogens.

25. Compact fluorescent light bulbs uses 75 percent less energy than typical incandescent and they last 10 times longer. Switching to them will save energy consumption.

26. Switch off lights and electrical equipments when the room or space is not occupied.

27. Clean the light fixtures regularly. Coat of dust can block up to 50 percent of the light output.

28. Soft colours reflect more light. Planning proper interior design will help in energy saving.

29. Unplug any electrical device that's not being used. Many appliances, especially computers, televisions and VCRs draw power even when turned off.

30. If your home has no sidewall insulation, place heavy furniture like bookshelves, armoires and sofas along the walls. This will help block cold air and prevent heat from coming in (insulation).

31. When you are going outstation, do not forget to turn off appliances.

32. Investing in Energy Efficient appliances pays off. In some cases, the money you save in energy costs can pay back the purchase price in just a few years.

33. Please read the Energy Guide label carefully, and make sure you are comparing "apples to apples." Energy use can range significantly even within a single brand. Do not be cheated by cheap sales and promises by sales promoters.

34. Buying appliances that suits your family is important. Over buying will result to wastage in money and energy consumption.

35. If electrical equipments are older than 10 – 15 years consider trade in to new equipment which is energy efficient.

36. Look for the "EnergyStar" logo. This designation from the relevant government and certification bodies means that the appliance exceeds minimum energy- use standards, usually by a significant amount.

37. Do not forget to ask about warranties, service contracts, and delivery and installation costs.

38. Be sure to choose a reputable and knowledgeable dealer. A good dealer should be able to help you calculate energy savings and the payback period, and he or she should offer you a range of brands and prices.

39. Make sure you know your right to get the product knowledge. Faulty equipments must be replaced (make sure the warranty card is properly kept).

40. In practicing your rights, if the retailer or service provider fails to act on your behalf, contact National Consumer Complaint Centre to address this issue. (surf http://www.nccc.org.my or call +603-78779000)

This energy saving tips brought to you by

environment@FOMCA

Environment Desk

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA)

For more information please email to fomca@fomca.org.my.

30 Ways To Save Water In And Around The House

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

30 WAYS TO SAVE WATER IN AND AROUND THE HOUSE

TOILET

1. Use a toilet bowl with smaller flushing capacity (for example 6 liters or less per flush) or place a bottle of water in the tank to reduce water for each flush.

2. Minimize the number of flushes made in a day.

3. Check regularly for leakages: add food colour to the tank and look out if the coloured water spills during or after flushing.

SHOWER

4. Take shorter showers or install a low flow showerhead.

5. Place a bucket near the shower to collect excess water during bath and the

water can be used for other purposes.

6. Turn off the shower while lathering soap.

SINK

7. Don’t let the water run while shaving, bushing teeth or washing your face.

The best practice is to collect water in a pail and use it.

8. Repair dripping faucets.

GARDEN

9. Water the lawn early in the morning or late evening to avoid evaporation from

heat and wind.

10. Don’t over water the lawn, avoid watering during rainy season.

11. Adjust sprinkler to avoid over watering. In case of a small garden, usage of hose

is advisable.

12. Regularly check sprinkler setting and timer.

13. Avoid over fertilizing or use a slow release water-soluble form of nitrogen.

14. Choose a water efficient landscape or garden.

15. Keep your grass about 6 cm long because taller grass holds water better.

16. Use broom to clean driveways and sidewalk rather than flushing the rubbish with water.

17. Use watering cans whenever possible especially when watering patio plants.

KITCHEN

18. Avoid running water to wash dishes. Fill the sink and use the water.

19. Always turn off your taps tightly so that it does not leak.

20. Store a bottle of water in the refrigerator or use ice if you want cold water.

21. Wash your produce in the sink or a container that is partially filled with water

instead of running water.

22. Fill the washing machine full each time when you need to wash clothes. Each

time the washing machine runs, it uses the same amount of water.

GARAGE

23. Use a bucket when washing the car rather than the hose.

24. Prevent any type of oil from spilling as it takes a lot of water and soap to wash off the floor.

OTHER TIPS

25. Be well informed and participate at public meetings on water issues in your area.

26. Check all water related pipelines consistently to avoid interior leakages.

27. Immediately report broken pipes/infrastructures to the relevant authorities.

28. Encourage water conservation activities to be taught in school.

29. Support the government’s call to conserve and save water.

30. Use water harvested from rain in garage and garden and if possible even for toilet flushing.

GOING FOR �PLASTIC� MONEY? STAY FREE OF DEBTS! TIPS & ADVICES FOR CREDIT CARD USERS

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

GOING FOR ‘PLASTIC’ MONEY? STAY FREE OF DEBTS! TIPS & ADVICES FOR CREDIT CARD USERS

Stay debt-free. Allocate a portion of your income for credit card to clear off credit card debts EVERY MONTH.

Control your spending. The convenience of swiping plastic will make you spend more than you realised. Plan a list of things to spend to keep track of where your money goes.

Do not cross your credit limit unless it’s an emergency. Banks charged a hefty 2% interest for all amounts in excess credit, in addition to the existing financial charges.

Clear the BIG portion of your outstanding balance, not the mere minimum 5%. The interest rate charges on the accumulated balance will go skyrocket.

You don’t really need so many cards; apply for no more than 2 or 3. It’s for convenience, not for collection.

Only apply credit cards when you really need them. Do not be tempted by one-off promotions and advertisements.

Make sure you’re financially well off to afford credit cards. Banks are offering cards for a basic salary as low as RM 1,500, which, in today’s cost of living and consumption pattern is not financially viable. If you don’t have monthly financial surpluses, do not attempt to apply. You’ll most likely end up in heavy debts and even bankruptcy.

Secure a list of your credit card numbers and report lost or stolen cards immediately. All banks have a 24-hour banking service and you’ll not be held liable for any purchases made with the card after reporting.

Inform and update your credit card issuer of changes in your personal particulars such as new mailing addresses so that billing can be mailed on time to avoid late payment charges.

Keep track and list out the things you bought with your credit card to cross-refer on the billing items to filter out misuse and credit frauds.

Be aware of the interest-free grace periods for settling outstanding bills. If your billing statement arrives ‘fashionably’ late every month, complain to your bank. Late mailing might be a contributing factor in the accumulation outstanding bills over the month.

Cash advances are convenient BUT costly. Banks charged 18% per annum of cash advance amounts AND a 5% interest OR minimum of RM20 on the amount drawn. There is no interest-free grace period and the interest is accrued the moment cash is received.

When you want to cancel your credit card, it’s better to go straight to the bank to settle it rather than post to them. Call the bank and follow up closely on the cancellation status, as there have been many cases where banks still impose charges to consumers even AFTER they’ve cancelled their cards.

Difference between http:// and https://

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

The main difference between http:// and https:// is

It's all about keeping you secure

HTTP stands for HyperText Transport Protocol, which is just a fancy way of saying it's a protocol (a language, in a manner of speaking) for information to be passed back and forth between web servers and clients.

The important thing is the letter S which makes the difference between HTTP and HTTPS.

The S (big surprise) stands for "Secure".

If you visit a website or webpage, and look at the address in the web browser, it will likely begin with the following: http://

This means that the website is talking to your browser using the regular 'unsecure' language.

In other words, it is possible for someone to "eavesdrop" on your computer's conversation with the website.

If you fill out a form on the website, someone might see the information you send to that site.

This is why you never ever ever enter your credit card number in an http website!

But if the web address begins with https:// that basically means your computer is talking to the website in a secure code that no one can eavesdrop on.

You understand why this is so important, right?

If a website ever asks you to enter your credit card information, you should automatically look to see if the web address begins with https://

If it doesn't, there's no way you're going to enter sensitive information like a credit card number!